Arctic Whales Measure the Ocean's Temperature

A group of scientists attached sensors to 14 narwhals, and managed to accurately measure winter temperatures in the waters off western Greenland.

The climate scientists had limited ways of measuring the winter temperatures of Baffin Bay, because of the thick and dense ice, the harsh conditions and the high cost of this type of mission, so they used to use climatology data instead of direct ocean measurements.

The migration of the narwhals, with their unicorn-like tooth, gave them a better idea: mounting sensors on the animals as they made their fall migration from northwest Greenland to their wintering grounds in Baffin Bay, and gather the data transmitted by them.

The researchers gathered data over a period of seven months, from 2006 and 2007, and concluded that there is a continuous increase in the ocean's temperature, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the American Geophysical Union reported, quoted by OurAmazingPlanet.

Study team leader Kristin Laidre of the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory, said that “narwhals proved to be highly efficient and cost-effective 'biological oceanographers,' providing wintertime data to fill gaps in our understanding of this important ocean area.

“Their natural behavior makes them ideal for obtaining ocean temperatures during repetitive deep vertical dives.”

“This mission was a 'proof of concept' that narwhal-obtained data can be used to make large-scale hydrographic surveys in Baffin Bay and to extend the coverage of a historical database into the poorly sampled winter season,” she added.

The whales proved extremely useful as researchers found that temperatures were nearly 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius) warmer on average than the climatology data they previously had.

Also the winter-surface isothermal layer was thinner by 160 to 260 feet (50 to 80 meters) than in the climatology data.

Being aware of the reality of global warming is extremely important as the western coast of Greenland is a gateway for fresh water that can flow south to the Labrador Shelf, and affect the North Atlantic Current, and the entire climate of our planet.

The research was published this week in the Journal of Geophysical Research.