Fifty years after Sputnik, satellites peering down on Earth have become valuable scientific tools to study the global environment and offer much needed insight into the future of our planet.
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An ancient global warming episode drastically changed the planet. Life on Earth needed 200,000 years to recover. What we’re headed for in the next century could be even bigger.
Web surfers can follow the travels of a recently released white shark as it heads south
Six weeks ago, the Monterey Bay Aquarium released a young white shark into the ocean, and the swimmer has already cruised down the coast to the waters off Mexico.
The shark, which spent 162 days at the aquarium after it was accidentally caught by a local fisherman, is the first to carry two different tracking tags. One of the tags records the water temperatures he swims through and depths he hits. This one will pop off on July 2nd, float to the surface, transmit its data via satellite, and enable scientists to see roughly what the shark has been up to. The other tag, called a Smart Position-Only Tag, transmits its position when the shark’s dorsal fin breaks the surface.
You can follow the predator here. Already scientists are impressed with how fast it swam south. “It’s another reminder of just how little we know about what these animals do in the wild,” said one MBARI scientist.
Via ScienceMode
