When people think about climate science, they often picture researchers with technical equipment and complicated computer models. But did you know that climate science and fisheries research are being aided by seals?

When catches in the Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) fishery dropped without warning in 2016, scientists turned to elephant seals to help find the answer.

Fitted with sensors, elephant seals frequently dive to depths greater than 1,000 m, providing valuable information on how temperature and salinity might be affecting the Patagonian toothfish.

These flippered helpers confirmed that ocean warming is not confined to the surface. Changes in temperature are reaching depths of 800 to 1,100 m, which may affect the species toothfish rely on for food.

Complicated climate questions require creative solutions, and FRDC Project 2018-133 is doing just that, bringing together scientists, fishers and even elephant seals to characterise regional environmental variability and how it is affecting toothfish catch rates and the long-term outlook under climate change.

Read the full FRDC article here

Image credit: Rio Button