(JP) Animals to photograph sea's secrets

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Animals to photograph sea's secrets

 

Jan 09, 2002

Yomiuri Shimbun

 

The National Institute of Polar Research has started

exploring the inhospitable reaches of the Antarctic

Ocean by strapping cameras onto animals that can dive

deeper than humans, in a quest expected to reveal many

mysteries of the deep and create a valuable database

for researchers.

 

" The sun's rays reach only 150 meters below the

surface, but large creatures, including the emperor

penguin and the elephant seal, can dive far deeper, " a

researcher at the institute said.

 

The emperor penguin has been recorded diving as deep

as 530 meters and the elephant seal to 1,500 meters.

 

By strapping nine-centimeter-long digital cameras on

the animals, researchers hope to observe marine life

in a zone about halfway between the seabed and the

surface.

 

" An interval of five seconds between shots would

enable the camera to store 1,200 photographs in a dive

of under two hours, " the researcher said.

 

By adding a multifunctional measurement recorder,

researchers will be able to measure three-dimensional

distances and temperatures of the dark, deep habitats

of marine life.

 

" It should shed light on the underwater activities of

penguins and seals--what they eat and why they dive so

deep, " the researcher said.

 

Yasuhiko Naito, a professor at the institute and head

of the project, said, " I would like to see our efforts

lead to a valuable database for researchers around the

world. "

 

Copyright 2002 The Yomiuri Shimbun

 

 

 

 

 

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