The Antarctic continent conjures visions of white ice and blue sky. But not far from Australia’s Casey Station, 3,880km due south of Perth, moss beds emerge verdant and green.
Sadly, the health of these moss beds is declining due to changing climate conditions, ozone depletion and heatwaves. Yet our understanding of the problem is limited. Conducting research in Antarctica is difficult. Periods of data collection are short, and there can be years between each research opportunity. Fortunately, new technology offers solutions.
In December 2022, we traveled to Casey Station. We spent two months in the field—combining our skills in biology, flying drones, programming and artificial intelligence—to learn more about the moss and find better ways to remotely monitor biological changes.
We mapped large moss beds and trialed a new sensor system that can deliver continuous, year-round moss data.
Recent Comments