Scientists are outfitting elephant seals and self-propelled water gliders with monitoring equipment to unlock the oceans’ secrets and boost understanding of the impacts of climate change.

Oceans regulate the world’s climate by soaking up heat and shifting it around the globe. They also absorb huge amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide, acting as a brake on the pace of climate change.

But scientists say they need to ramp up a global monitoring network, with the Southern Ocean between Australia and Antarctica playing a key role. The Southern Ocean is a major “sink” of mankind’s carbon emissions and an engine of the world’s climate.