Divers Dive Deep into Arctic Ice for Science

0:00Divers in Finland are training to plunge under thick arctic ice to study hidden ecosystems threatened by climate change. The polar scientific diving class, run by the Finnish scientific diving academy at a remote biological station, teaches experienced scientists and students specialized skills for icy waters. Earlier this month, participants dove 8 meters deep into a frozen lake, where sunlight filters through the ice and fish dart around rocks. The Arctic is warming 4 times faster than the rest of the planet, shrinking sea ice that polar bears need to hunt and disrupting ocean life. In Antarctica, melting sheets raise sea levels and harm sea floor habitats with almost no sunlight. Only a few hundred people worldwide have the right mix of diving expertise and science background to investigate these changes of close. Participants describe stunning underwater views that shift like the northern lights from below. They face brutal conditions, including nearly a meter of ice, water just above freezing and air temperatures near minus 40 degrees.

1:03Support teams battle frostbite while managing safety gear, and divers train as backups in case someone loses the exit hole after 45 minutes. Experts stress their robots and remote subs fall short, as they damage habitats or grab just one sample at a time. Human divers can collect a dozen delicate specimens, like urgins, without harm. Started in 2024, the 10-day program now runs two sessions a year to build a bigger team fast. With polar ice vanishing quickly, these trainings ramp up efforts to document and protect fragile flora and fauna before it's too late. This has been Canada News Today, powered by AI. I'm Corey with the story.