The internet of seals: how sensors for elephant seals tackle climate change

Smart connected trackers are making it easier to study animals - and find out how the world is reacting to global warming

The first time Michael Fedak told other researchers he wanted to study climate change by fixing satellite-connected sensors to the heads of deep-diving ocean mammals, the University of St Andrews biology professor was laughed at.

But for the past decade, elephant seals have been collecting data from the depths of the ocean via sensors and transmitters stacked on their heads - not unlike fascinators at ladies' day at the races. Collectively, the sensors have gathered 400,000 data profiles on the temperature and density of sea water, which is being shared globally via an open web portal in the hope it could help the world better understand how oceans are being affected by climate change.