Previously, researchers gathering information about the Southern Ocean had to overcome serious logistical obstacles. However, in an interesting twist on the “citizen scientist” idea, elephant seals near South Georgia Island have, um, volunteered to collect information on conditions in the frigid waters.

French, Australian and American researchers – working for the Southern Elephant Seals as Oceanographic Samplers (SEaOS) project – are collaborating with seals on this project. They glue computerized tags to seals’ heads to collect data on temperature, depth, and salinity of water as the animals swim and dive. When the seals surface to breathe, the computers transmit the information to scientists in Scotland via satellite. Seals aren’t the only volunteers for this project: it is being run in parallel with other projects using sea lions, tuna, and even sharks to gather ocean data. (For the curious, the tags fall off after about a year.) In addition to helping scientists understand so-called “ocean fronts” – the movement of water around the globe – researchers claim that the information collected could help protect elephant seals in the future. Of course, there’s also the chance for some wicked video images as the seals prey on their favorite food: squid.

[Thanks, Drew!]