Scribd
Upload
32 views14 pages

Science Seals

Scientists are using elephant seals in the Southern Ocean to gather data about salinity and temperature under Antarctic sea ice. Sensors attached to the seals' heads collect this environmental data, which is transmitted via satellite to researchers when the seals surface. This data provides insights into conditions off Antarctica that could foreshadow future changes in the Great Barrier Reef due to factors like rising salinity levels.

Uploaded by

javlon101tatu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
32 views14 pages

Science Seals

Scientists are using elephant seals in the Southern Ocean to gather data about salinity and temperature under Antarctic sea ice. Sensors attached to the seals' heads collect this environmental data, which is transmitted via satellite to researchers when the seals surface. This data provides insights into conditions off Antarctica that could foreshadow future changes in the Great Barrier Reef due to factors like rising salinity levels.

Uploaded by

javlon101tatu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 14

Road Podcast

“ Science seals ”
BBC LEARNING ENGLISH
6 Minute English Science seals

Callum:Hello and welcome to 6


Minute English, I'm Callum
Robertson and with me today
is Kate, hello Kate.
Kate: Hello Callum.

Callum:Today we're going 'down


under' - Kate, where's that,
where's 'down under'?
Kate: 'Down under' means Australia.
Callum:And have you ever been
there?
Kate: I have. My brother lives there
and I've been to visit him
twice.
Callum:Ah well, I hope that gives you
a good chance of getting
today's question right.
Today's question is about
Australia and a part of
Australia called the Great
Barrier
Reef. Off which part of
Australia is the reef? Is it …
a: North-east coast?
b: South coast?
c: North-west coast?
Kate: Well I've been to the Great
Barrier Reef so I should know
this, but let me get this right.
It's on the north-east coast, a:
Callum:We'll find out if you're right
later on.
The Great Barrier Reef is
perhaps one of the natural
wonders of the world but it is
in danger from various environmental
factors. Scientists are using elephant seals in

the Southern Ocean to help them


understand what might be going to
happen to the reef. Now the Southern
Ocean is the ocean south of Australia
which includes the Antarctic. So why
are they using seals? Here's Phil
Mercer, the BBC's reporter in
Australia.

Phil Mercer
The elephant seals of the Southern Ocean
have been recruited by Australian scientists
because of their diving skills.

Callum:Kate, why are they using seals?

Kate: Well he said they were being


used because of their diving
skills.
Callum:And I can confirm they are
excellent divers. I'm a keen
scuba diver myself and a few
years ago I was lucky enough
to go diving with seals, not in
Australia, but in the UK, and it
was fantastic. They are very
inquisitive animals. They
follow you around underwater
and play with you and they are
indeed fantastic divers.
We're going to hear more
about what the seals are doing
but first we need to cover
some useful vocabulary. In the
next part of the report we hear
about 'sensors'. Kate, what's a
'sensor'?
Kate: Well a 'sensor' is a small
electronic device that is used
for taking measurements.
Callum:And another word we're going
to hear is 'salinity'. 'Salinity'.
What's that?
Kate: 'Salinity' is a noun for the level
of salt in a liquid. The salinity
of the sea is very important,
particularly to coral. If the
salinity changes – which
means if the level of salt
changes – it can damage or
even destroy coral reefs.
Callum:Right, let's get back to the
seals. Here's Phil Mercer with
more about how they are
being used. How do the seals get
information and how does that
information get to the scientists?
Phil Mercer
They spend much of the winter foraging for
fish and squid under the sea ice. Small
sensors glued to the animals' heads, that
measure salinity and temperature, are
providing a rare glimpse into the world
beneath the waves. When the seals return to
the surface the information is transmitted
back to Tasmania by satellite.

Callum: How do the seals get the


information that scientists
need?
Kate: Well as part of their normal
behaviour they dive down
under the ice, looking for
food. They have sensors stuck
on their heads and these
collect the information about
the salinity and temperature
of the water. This information
is then sent back to the
scientists in Tasmania by
satellite when the seals
surface, which means when
they come back from being
underwater.
Callum:He says the seals are giving
them 'a rare glimpse into the
world beneath the waves' –
what does he mean by 'a rare
glimpse'?
Kate: Well something that is rare, is
unusual, it's not common and
a glimpse is a word for a quick
look at something. So 'a rare
glimpse into the world
beneath the waves' is a way to
describe the special view the
scientists are getting of what
is happening under the water.
Callum:Let's listen again.

Phil Mercer
They spend much of the winter foraging for
fish and squid under the sea ice. Small
sensors glued to the animals' heads, that
measure salinity and temperature, are
providing a rare glimpse into the world
beneath the waves. When the seals return to
the surface the information is transmitted
back to Tasmania by satellite.
Callum: So how is this information being
gathered under the ice of Antarctica and
sent to Tasmania of use in predicting what
is going to happen to the Great Barrier
Reef?
Here's Phil Mercer again.

Phil Mercer
Government researchers in the state capital
Hobart believe that changes off Antarctica
are a precursor to future events in the Great
Barrier Reef.

Callum:Kate?
Kate: Scientists believe that what
happens in Antarctica is a
'precursor to future events in
the Great Barrier Reef.' 'A
precursor to' – this phrase
means that they believe that
there is a connection between
what is happening now in
Antarctica and what will
happen in the future in the
Great Barrier Reef.
Callum:Let's listen again.

Phil Mercer
Government researchers in the state capital
Hobart believe that changes off Antarctica
are a precursor to future events in the Great
Barrier Reef.
Callum: Phil Mercer there. Now just
time to give the answer to this
week's question which was
about the location of the
Great Barrier Reef. Off which
part of Australia is the reef?
Kate, you said …?
Kate: I said a: the north-east coast

Callum:And that's exactly the right


answer, well done. Well that's
all for today but do join us
again next time for more 6
Minute English. Goodbye.
Kate: Goodbye.
Road Podcast
don’t stop learning even when you are on the road to
join us, click on the link.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy