Urgency for more research into the deep sea has grown as the extent of the climate crisis becomes apparent. As red-hot oceans amplify deadly heat waves, storms, and floods on land, understanding what’s happening beneath the waves remains a big unknown. More than 80% of these bodies of water remain unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored. While underwater robots, sea surface sonars, and satellites have allowed researchers to better understand how greenhouse gas emissions are impacting ocean dynamics, there is still much we don’t know due to the lack of data.
One of the biggest mysteries is the Argentina-sized chunk missing from the sea ice in the Antarctic ocean. Sea ice in this region has shrunk to record lows last month, reaching levels 2.6 million square kilometers below the average between 1981 and 2010. Scientists have been trying to explain this phenomenon and extreme marine heat through various factors such as higher atmospheric temperatures, reduced winds, decreased emissions from ships, and El Nino conditions.
The oceans have absorbed 90% of the additional heat caused by growing greenhouse gas emissions since 1955, acting as a sponge to prevent further atmospheric warming. However, our understanding of how this heat is stored and its impact on ocean currents and sea level rise is still incomplete.
To gather reliable and frequent ocean data, a group of oceanographers developed the Argo program in 1999. They created robotic floats called “Argo floats” that drift on ocean currents and collect data on sea temperatures and salinity. Over 10,000 of these floats have been deployed since, with about 3,900 active today. These floats have provided breakthrough data similar to the start of the satellite era.
In recent years, scientists have been modifying the floats to go deeper into the ocean, creating the Deep Argo floats. The design and materials have been improved to withstand the higher pressure, allowing these floats to explore the deep seas. However, more Deep Argo floats are needed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of deep ocean dynamics, but the cost of these floats is higher than regular ones.
The urgency for more deep-sea research has grown in light of the climate crisis. Despite the challenges, oceanographers like Nathalie Zilberman are drawn to this field and are committed to exploring the mysteries of the deep seas.