Now Reading: Sharks with sensors help predict hurricane intensity
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Sharks with sensors help predict hurricane intensity
University of Delaware researchers are using sharks to collect ocean data that could improve hurricane intensity forecasts. The team attaches small CTD tags to the dorsal fins of shortfin mako, blue, smooth…
The Story in Brief
University of Delaware researchers are using sharks to collect ocean data that could improve hurricane intensity forecasts. The team attaches small CTD tags to the dorsal fins of shortfin mako, blue, smooth hammerhead and juvenile great white sharks. These tags measure water conductivity, temperature and depth. When the shark surfaces, the data transmits to satellites.
The project focuses on the ocean's mixed layer, where warmer water drives stronger hurricanes. Tagging begins in early May when sharks move closer to the East Coast. Researchers deploy baited lines 50 to 65 km offshore. The tags are designed to corrode and fall off. The method has already been used on elephant seals in polar regions, the university says.
The Indian Opinion
What seems like science fiction, hammerheads and makos sending weather data, is actually a practical fix for a long-standing problem: the Atlantic Ocean's heat content is poorly measured during hurricane season. The inevitable hype about "sharks forecasting storms" misses the point; these tags measure only temperature, salinity and depth, not wind speeds. The real test is whether satellite-transmitted shark data improves forecast models before a major storm hits land. If it does, expect more creatures, not just seals and sharks, to become oceanographers.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
