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Scientist Unveils the Secret: How Seals Stay Afloat While Diving

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 A researcher hailing from Northern Ireland has uncovered an extraordinary sensory ability that enables marine mammals to become unparalleled divers.


 Dr. Chris McKnight from County Antrim has been studying why seals can remain submerged without breathing for extended periods compared to numerous other animal species as part of his research at the University of St Andrews in Scotland.


 He discovered that, apart from effectively storing oxygen, they possess a distinctive capability to mentally gauge the levels in their bloodstream to prevent drowning.


 "It's tremendously exciting to discover such a crucial element of marine mammal evolution, which plays a vital role in much of their activity—diving," stated Dr. McKnight.

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 He emphasized that the adaptation was crucial for the development of marine mammals such as seals and walruses, enabling both these creatures and possibly other breath-holding divers—like certain birds and reptiles—to lead lives largely devoid of surface time during underwater excursions.


 "Discovering such a crucial element of marine mammal evolution, which plays a vital role in much of their activity—diving—is immensely thrilling," stated Dr. McKnight.


 It feels as though it was hiding right beneath our noses all along.


 "It may appear straightforward and logical that seals can detect oxygen levels, which aids them in making choices to avoid running out of air and drowning; however, from an evolutionary perspective, this places both the species and their bodily functions among the most distinctively adapted creatures," he explained.


 While scientists knew
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 How do mammals manage to remain underwater without breathing for such extended periods?
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 , they were unaware that they were measuring the duration of their dives.


 To determine this, six young seals were observed at the university's Sea Mammal Research Unit over nearly a year, examining how they modified their behavior based on varying levels of oxygen availability.


 Seals such as Trish and Oisin voluntarily dove into the unit's pool to catch fish while under observation.

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 The atmospheres they encountered had been modified to change the amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide.


 The length of each dive increased with greater access to oxygen, yet carbon dioxide played no role in this effect.


 This demonstrated that the seals are not as sensitive to carbon dioxide as some other species might be.


 Dr Joanna Kershaw, one of the report’s authors, commended the skill and commitment of the research group.


 She expressed her excitement about working with these incredible creatures and discovering one of the key factors behind their perfect adaptation to their habitat.

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Scientist Unveils the Secret: How Seals Stay Afloat While Diving

Unknown ecology, marine animals, science, sea creatures, underwater

A researcher hailing from Northern Ireland has uncovered an extraordinary sensory ability that enables marine mammals to become unparalleled divers. Dr. Chris McKnight from County Antrim has been s…

Deep-Sea Creatures Face Rush as Mining Interests Surge

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 In the frigid, dark depths of the Pacific Ocean, the seafloor is strewn with metallic stones that mining companies desire greatly—alongside vast populations of bizarre and uncommon creatures that remain largely unfamiliar to scientific community.


 Scientists are hurriedly working to classify numerous recently found species with names.


 The mining sector is urging regulatory bodies to finalize guidelines that might pave the way for extracting resources from portions of the extensive Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) located between Hawaii and Mexico.


 Previously considered an undersea desert, the CCZ is now recognized for its rich biodiversity.


 They vary from minuscule worms dwelling in the murky sediments to buoyant sponges anchored to the rocks akin to water-filled balloons, and a colossal sea cucumber nicknamed the "gummy squirrel."


 Activists argue that this variety of life forms represents the genuine wealth of our planet's biggest and most mysterious ecosystem.


 Experts caution that mining activities might push species toward extinction before we can even identify them.


 The interest in extracting the "nodules," which are roughly the size of potatoes and hold metals utilized in technologies like smartphone touchscreens and rechargeable batteries, has led researchers to investigate the CCZ area.


 "As a result of our efforts to exploit that region, we now possess a much deeper comprehension of it than we otherwise would have attained," stated Tammy Horton from Britain’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC).


 Researchers have retrieved sediments using box cores launched from vessels and utilized remotely operated vehicles to capture images and gather specimens from the ocean floor.


 In any specific area of the CCZ seabed, a quick look might reveal only one lone brittle star, yet scientists rarely encounter the same individual more than once.


 Horton mentioned that there are "substantial populations of uncommon species," noting that much of this biodiversity is found within organisms residing in the sediment.


 The nodules also create their own distinct habitats, much like tiny coral gardens.

<h2>
 'First step'
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 The initial inventory of data from scientific investigations in the CCZ, released in 2023, revealed that approximately 90 percent of the 5,000 animal species documented were previously unknown to scientists.


 The ISA aims to have more than a thousand species documented by 2030 in areas of interest to mining companies.


 The process is painstaking.

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 Whenever feasible, every creature should be illustrated, dissected, and given a molecular "barcode," which serves as a type of DNA fingerprint enabling other scientists to recognize it.


 Horton and her team of experts spent an entire year describing 27 out of over a hundred unnamed amphipods — a species of small crustaceans.


 "The primary and essential initial step towards comprehending any environment involves identifying the species present, determining their population sizes, and mapping out the extent of their habitat," she explained to AFP.


 This would outline a foundation for understanding life in the abyssal plains, enabling a clearer comprehension of possible adverse impacts.


 The conservation organization Fauna & Flora has stated that the risks include harm to the marine food chain as well as the possibility of intensifying climate change due to the disturbance of sediments that store heat-trapping carbon.


 The ISA has to finalize the global deep-sea mining regulations this year, however, significant tasks remain unfinished.

<h2>
 Cold War connections
</h2>

 The most ancient mining trial area encompasses a segment of the CCZ seafloor that was cultivated in 1979.


 Daniel Jones, a NOC researcher who sifted through archival records to determine the precise location, revealed that the operation was part of a CIA scheme aimed at retrieving a Russian nuclear submarine by disguising their efforts as deep-sea mining activities.


 According to Jones, the CIA rented a vessel for actual deep-sea mining operations.


 He discovered an ancient photo depicting the approximately eight-meter-(26-foot)-wide device utilized for collecting nodules.

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 His group went to the testing location in 2023, over four decades following the initial disruption.


 He mentioned that the machine trails could still be easily seen on the ocean floor.


 Jones informed journalists lately that they observed "initial signs of biological restoration" on the mining-affected paths; however, animal populations had yet to return to their usual levels.


 The sluggish rate at which changes occur in the CCZ can be seen through the nodules, which have probably taken millions of years to form.


 Each likely began as a fragment of solid material — such as a shark’s tooth or a fish’s otolith — that came to rest on the ocean floor.


 They gradually expanded next, as they attracted minerals present in the water at very low concentrations.


 They include metals such as cobalt that are highly sought after during the energy shift.


 However, the European Academies of Science Advisory Council (EASAC) has stated that the requirement for the nodules has been exaggerated and has called for a halt to mining activities.


 Michael Norton, the EASAC Environment Director, stated that initiating deep-sea exploitation would likely prove difficult to halt thereafter.


 It’s a one-way road," he stated. "Once you head down it, you won’t turn back easily.

Deep-Sea Creatures Face Rush as Mining Interests Surge

Unknown marine animals, mining, mining industry, sea creatures, underwater

In the frigid, dark depths of the Pacific Ocean, the seafloor is strewn with metallic stones that mining companies desire greatly—alongside vast populations of bizarre and uncommon creatures that re…