Daily Prelims Notes 23 April 2023
- April 23, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN
Daily Prelims Notes
23 April 2023
Table Of Contents
- Optimistic space policy lays out plans to privatise sector
- Stray dog population control is dogged by bad science
- Buoyant history afloat on a neglected boat in Bengal
- India conducts successful trials of BMD interceptor missile
- ISRO launches PSLV-C55 with two Singapore satellites
- Reviving a ‘dead’ river: a cultural event to celebrate legacy of Yamuna
- Microbes at the top of the world
- Heat Dome
- Elephant seals enter ‘sleep spiral’ during deep ocean dives
1. Optimistic space policy lays out plans to privatise sector
Subject: Science and Technology
Section: Space technology
Concept:
- The Centre’s updated Space Policy, cleared by the Union Cabinet on April 6 but made public recently, has drawn measured optimism from the India’s budding private sector start-up space.
Space Sector of India
- ISRO has an exceptional success rate and is the 6th largest space agency globally.
- India has over 400 private space companies and ranks fifth globally in terms of the number of space companies.
- The satellite manufacturing capabilities are expected to reach USD 3.2 billion by 2025.
- ISRO also launched a student outreach program called SAMVAD to encourage space research among young minds.
Indian Space Policy 2023
- The Indian Space Policy 2023 is a comprehensive set of guidelines that outlines the roles and responsibilities of different entities in the Indian space sector.
- The policy is expected to pave the way for much-needed clarity in space reforms and encourage private industry participation in the space economy.
- It aims to encourage and institutionalize private sector participation in India’s space sector, with the ISRO primarily focusing on research and development of advanced space technologies.
Objectives :
- To augment space capabilities;
- Enable, encourage and develop a flourishing commercial presence in space;
- Use space as a driver of technology development and derive benefits in allied areas;
- Pursue international relations, and create an ecosystem for effective implementation of space applications among all stakeholders.
Key features of the Indian Space Policy 2023
- Creates four distinct, but related entities:
- The policy creates four distinct, but related entities, that will facilitate greater private sector participation in activities that have usually been the traditional domain of ISRO.
- These four entities are:
- Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
- IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre)
- New Space India Limited (NSIL)
- Department of Space.
- Role of the IN-SPACe :
- As per the policy, IN-SPACe will be the single-window agency for authorisation of all space activities.
- It will also develop space industry standards, promote identified space activities and work with academia to widen the space ecosystem and enable industry-academia linkages.
- Role of ISRO :
- ISRO, meanwhile, has been asked to move away from routine activities and focus on research and innovation.
- This will mean developing new space technologies and applications in order to maintain India’s edge in the areas of space infrastructure, space transportation, space applications, capacity building and human spaceflight.
- Role of New Space India Ltd :
- The government’s commercial arm, New Space India Ltd, has been asked to commercialise technologies and platforms created by government entities.
- It has also been tasked to manufacture, lease, or buy space technologies or assets, and provide space-based services to government as well as private entities.
- Role of the Department of Space :
- The Department of Space has been asked to implement the policy, interpret and clarify any ambiguities and establish a framework for safe and sustainable space operations.
- It will be the nodal department for implementing space technologies.
- It will also look after international cooperation and coordination in the area of global space governance and programmes in consultation with Ministry of External Affairs.
- It has also been tasked to create an appropriate mechanism to resolve disputes arising out of space activity.
- Enables open satellite data access :
- Satellite images with a ground sample distance (GSD) greater than five metres (a satellite image where two adjacent pixels represent points five metres apart on the ground) would be freely available.
- However, those with a GSD less than 30 cm will require INSPACe authorisation due to national security considerations.
- Private companies allowed to undertake end-to-end space activity :
- Private companies, referred to as non-governmental entities in the policy, will be allowed to undertake end-to-end space activity.
- These activities include –
- Launching and operating satellites, developing rockets, creating ground stations, building spaceports and mobile launch platforms; and
- Providing services like communication, remote sensing and navigation, nationally and internationally.
- Other roles envisaged for private entities :
- Private entities have also been encouraged to develop space situational awareness capabilities.
- Space situational awareness capabilities is a mechanism to track objects in space and avoid collision of satellites and space stations with each other or space debris.
- The policy also says that private players can engage in commercial recovery of asteroids or space resources.
- Private participation will be limited to Indian companies.
- The question of whether foreign direct investment via the automatic route will be permitted in space is as yet unresolved and pending government approval.
2. Stray dog population control is dogged by bad science
Subject: Science and Technology
Section: Health
Context: Recent events of children and other vulnerable section killed by groups of stray dogs have clearly becomes a human rights issue and public health crisis.
Background:
- India recorded a whopping 160 million cases of street/stray dog bites between 2019 and 2022, according to data submitted in Parliament till November 2022.
- This has also led to an increase in revenge crime and atrocities against dogs, feeders of dogs and caregivers as well as conflicts among urban residents.
Animal Birth Control or ABC Rules:
- First introduced in 2000 by Ministry of Culture.
- Recently replaced by the ABC rules 2023.
- The rules are issued under the Prevention of cruelty to animal act, 1960
- The policy aims to implement a technique called ‘catch-neuter-vaccinate-release’ to control populations of free-ranging dogs and cats.
- Provisions:
- The Rules have been formulated in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Hon’ble Supreme Court related to Animal Welfare Board of India and People for Elimination of Stray Troubles.
- The Supreme Court has specifically mentioned in various orders that relocation of dogs cannot be permitted.
- The Rules aim to provide guidelines for the sterilisation and immunisation of stray dogs through Animal Birth Control (ABC) programmes.
- The responsibility of carrying out ABC programmes lies with the respective local bodies, municipalities, municipal corporations, and panchayats.
- The Municipal Corporations are required to implement the ABC and Anti Rabies Program jointly.
- It provides guidelines on how to deal with human and stray dog conflicts without relocating the dogs in an area.
- It also emphasises addressing the cruelty involved in carrying out ABC programmes, ensuring animal welfare.
- The Rules have been formulated in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Hon’ble Supreme Court related to Animal Welfare Board of India and People for Elimination of Stray Troubles.
Drawbacks of the rule:
- No benchmark has been set for the number of dogs to be sterlized.
- No proper population estimation of stray dogs by municipalities.
- ABC Rules ban the euthanasia of rabid animals, making India the only country in the world to follow such a cruel practice. The rules require rabid dogs to “die a natural death”.
Rabies
- Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease affecting the central nervous system.
- It is present on all continents except Antarctica, with over 95% of human deaths occurring in Asia and Africa.
- Cause:
- It is caused by a Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) virus that is present in the saliva of a rabid animal (dog, cat, monkey, etc).
- It is invariably transmitted following a bite of an infected animal that leads to deposition of the saliva and the virus in the wound.
- According to WHO, Dogs are the main source of human rabies deaths, contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans.
- Status in India:
- India is endemic for rabies, and accounts for 36% of the world’s rabies deaths.
- According to WHO, about 30-60% of reported rabies cases and deaths in India occur in children under the age of 15 years as bites that occur in children often go unrecognised and unreported.
3. Buoyant history afloat on a neglected boat in Bengal
Subject : Geography
Section: Places in news
Context:
- The wooden boats on the bank of the Rupnarayan river near Tamluk (the ancient port town of Tamralipta) has inspired an international project viz. The Chhotbuilders of West Bengal Project: Documenting the vanishing craft knowledge of a unique boat-building tradition.
Details about the project:
- Project is a collaboration between University of Exeter, United Kingdom and the Central University of Haryana, India.
- The boat-makers near Dihimandal Ghat were commissioned to build the boat last year.
- The boats will be kept at the Maritime Museum at Lothal.
Chhot (boats):
- Chhot means ‘to run’ in bengali language.
- The knowledge of boat-making has been passed to us by our forefathers.
- The boat is completely different and superior to the L-shaped boats and dinghy boats in use now.
- The boat is around 37-foot-long and 9.5-foot-wide V-shaped wooden structure.
Other famous boatcarft in India:
- Recently, the District Tourism Promotion Council, Kozhikode has applied for a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the famous Beypore Uru (boat).
- The Beypore Urus are a symbol of Kerala’s trade relations and friendship with the Gulf countries.
- The prominent people associated with Uru-making are Odayis and Khalasis.
Rupnarayan river:
- The Rupnarayan River is a river in India.
- It begins as the Dhaleswari (Dhalkisor) in the Chhota Nagpur plateau foothills northeast of the town of Purulia.
- It then follows a tortuous southeasterly course past the town of Bankura, where it is known as the Dwarakeswar river. Near the town of Ghatal it is joined by the Shilabati river, where it takes the name Rupnarayan.
- Finally, it joins the Hoogli River.
- It is famous for the Hilsa fish that live in it and are used in Bengali cuisine.
- It is also notable for the West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited (WBPDCL) thermal power plant built along its bank at Kolaghat in West Bengal.
- The river also passes through Bagnan in Howrah district.
- Rupnarayan River forms the eastern boundary of district Purba Medinipur with district Howrah.
4. India conducts successful trials of BMD interceptor missile
Subject : Science and Technology
Section: Defence
Concept :
- Recently, The DRDO and Indian Navy successfully conducted a maiden flight trial of sea-based endo-atmospheric interceptor missile off the coast of Odisha.
- India entered an elite club of nations with the capability to fire a Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) interceptor from a naval platform.
- Prior to this, DRDO has successfully demonstrated land-based ballistic missile defence system with capability to neutralize ballistic missile threats, emerging from adversaries.
India’s Ballistic Missile Defence Programme:
- India launched the BMD program after Kargil war in 1999 to counter the enemy nation’s widening spectrum of ballistic missiles that usually delivered both conventional and nuclear warheads.
Two-tires of BMD system
Prithvi Air Defence missile:
- It was originally tested in 2006 and is capable of intercepting and destroying missiles at exo-atmospheric altitudes ranging from 50 to 180 kilometres.
- The Pradyumna interceptor has already replaced the Prithvi Air Defence BMD.
- Exo-atmospheric missiles are capable of completing missions in the Earth’s upper atmosphere.
Advanced Air Defence Missile:
- The second layer is Advanced Air Defence (AAD) Missile for lower altitude interception.
- It was first tested in 2007 and designed to knock down hostile missiles in the endo-atmosphere at altitudes of 15-40 KM.
- The endo-atmospheric missiles are the ones that operate within the earth’s atmosphere that covers an altitude below 100 KM.
5. ISRO launches PSLV-C55 with two Singapore satellites
Subject : Science and technology
Section: Space technology
Concept :
- The Indian Space Research Organization’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C55) lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Saturday, carrying two Singapore spacecraft, TeLEOS-2 as primary and Lumelite-4 as co-passenger.
About the Mission
- The mission was a dedicated commercial PSLV flight of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) for a Singapore-based multinational satellite customer.
- The PSLV-C55 was carrying two Singapore satellites: TeLEOS-2, the primary satellite, and Lumelite-4, the secondary satellite.
- TeLEOS-2, which has a Synthetic Aperture Radar payload, was developed in collaboration between DSTA and ST Engineering to fulfil the satellite imagery needs of multiple Singapore agencies.
- Lumelite-4 is a technology demonstration nano-satellite built by the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research’s Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R) and the National University of Singapore’s Satellite Technology and Research Centre (STAR).
- Its goal is to improve Singapore’s e-navigation maritime safety while also benefiting the worldwide shipping community.
- The mission is PSLV’s 57th flight and the 16th using the PSLV Core Alone configuration (PSLV-CA).
PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) :
- The mission also involves in-orbit scientific experiments using the spent PS4 stage as an orbital platform, which is the third time that PS4 will be used after satellite separations as a platform for experiments.
- Non-separable payloads will be mounted on MSA (multi-satellite adapter), and the power will be provided to payloads and avionic packages based on their requirements.
6. Reviving a ‘dead’ river: a cultural event to celebrate legacy of Yamuna
Subject : History
Section: Culture
Concept :
- Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) will host a cultural programme on the banks of the river yamuna in Delhi, under its special project — Riverine Cultures of India — that began in 2018.
- The highlight of the event will be a short festival of films on waterbodies, shot by children from across the country.
- The programmes will include a photo exhibition comparing the Yamuna of today with what the river was like 50 years ago; symposia on various aspects such as ecology and conservation of India’s rivers and their importance in the country’s heritage; and an exhibition themed on 15 ghats across the country in Sanjhi or paper stencil art.
- The larger project is focusing on six rivers right now: Ganga, Yamuna, and Sindhu in the north; and Krishna, Godavari, and Cauvery in the south.
- The Yamuna’s confluence with the Ganga and the mythical Saraswati at Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj is one of the country’s most important pilgrimage spots for Hindus.
- Yamuna – Dead River
- The river had been declared “almost dead” by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2015 citing untreated waste flowing into it from several cities along its banks.
- The definition of a river is that it must have life, which is measured by its capacity to dissolve oxygen.
- The dissolved oxygen content in the Yamuna as it passes through Delhi is zero.
About IGNCA
- The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) was established in 1987 as an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, as a centre for research, academic pursuit and dissemination in the field of the arts.
- The IGNCA has a trust (i.e. Board of Trustees), which meets regularly to give general direction about the Centre’s work. The Executive Committee, drawn from among the Trustees, functions under a Chairman.
- It is a research unit under Project Mausam.
- Project ‘Mausam’ is a Ministry of Culture project with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), New Delhi as the nodal agency.
- The central themes that hold Project ‘Mausam’ together are those of cultural routes and maritime landscapes that not only linked different parts of the Indian Ocean littoral, but also connected the coastal centres to their hinterlands.
- A project on design and development of a Vedic Heritage Portal was initiated at IGNCA, under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The portal aims to communicate messages enshrined in the Vedas.
7. Microbes at the top of the world
Subject: Science and Technology
Section: Health
Context:
- An article, Genetic analysis of the frozen microbiome at 7,900 metres above sea level on the South Col of Sagarmatha (Mount Everest), by Dr. N.B. Dragone and others in journal Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research examines the human microbiota on the inhospitable slopes of Mount Everest.
Details of the study:
- They were able to collect microbial communities in sediment samples left by human climbers on the South Col of Mount Everest, 7,900 metres above sea level (msl).
- The South Col is the ridge which separates Mt. Everest from Lhotse — the fourth highest mountain on earth.
- The two peaks are only three kilometres apart. At 7,900 msl, the South Col is rather inhospitable — a heat wave in July 2022 led to a record high temperature of minus 1.4 degree Celsius.
- A few species of moss and a jumping spider that feeds on frozen insects carried by the wind are found there.
- Using sophisticated methods such as 16S and 18S rRNA sequencing, the microbe hunters were able to identify the bacteria and other microorganisms found on the South Col.
- 16s rRNA is a component of the 30S subunit in prokaryotic ribosomes while 18s rRNA is a component of the 40S subunit in eukaryotic ribosomes.
- 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing is an amplicon sequencing technique used to identify and compare species of bacteria present within a given sample.
- 16S rRNA gene sequencing is used to study phylogeny and taxonomy of samples from complex microbiomes or environments that are difficult or impossible to study.
- Microbes like modestobacter altitudinis and the fungus, naganishia, which are known to be UV-resistant survivors are found there.
Utilization of microbes:
- Enzymes, chemicals, and other bioactive molecules
- Citric acid fungus Aspergillus niger
- Acetobacter aceti (an acetic acid bacteria)
- Clostridium butylicum (a butyric acid-producing bacterium)
- Lactobacillus acidophilus (a bacterium).
- For the commercial manufacturing of ethanol, yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is utilised.
- Milk to Curd
- Lactobacillus and other microorganisms known as lactic acid bacteria (LAB) thrive in milk and convert it to curd.
- Fermentation
- Yeast converts sugar into alcohol. Fermentation is the process of converting sugar into alcohol. In 1857, Louis Pasteur discovered fermentation.
- baker’s yeast is used to ferment the dough required to make bread (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).
- Fermented Drinks
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae, often known as brewer’s yeast, is used for fermenting malted cereals and fruit juices to make ethanol for this purpose.
- Sewage treatment microbes
- The microorganisms devour the majority of the organic materials in the wastewater as they grow. This greatly reduces the effluent’s BOD (biochemical oxygen demand).
- Microbes in biogas generation
- Biogas is a gas combination (predominantly methane) created by microbial activity that can be used as fuel.
- Methanogens are bacteria that produce Methanobacterium is one such frequent bacterium.
- Biocontrol agents based on microbes
- Bacillus thuringiensis is an example of a microbial biocontrol agent that can be introduced to control butterfly caterpillars (often written as Bt).
- The fungus Trichoderma is being developed as a biological control for the treatment of plant disease.
- Microbes as biofertilisers
- Azospirillum, mycorrhiza and Azotobacter can improve the soil’s nitrogen content by fixing atmospheric nitrogen while growing freely in the soil.
- Many cyanobacteria, including Anabaena, Nostoc, Oscillatona, etc., are autotrophic microbes that can fix atmospheric nitrogen. They are found in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
- Cyanobacteria are a significant biofertilizer in paddy fields.
- Preservatives
About Mount Everest:
- Named Mount Sagarmatha in Nepal region.
- Nepal’s eminent historian, late Baburam Acharya, gave it the Nepali name, sagarmatha, in the 1960s.
- Kangchenjunga peak:
- In 1847, Andrew Waugh, British Surveyor General of India, found a peak in the eastern end of the Himalayas which was higher than the Kangchenjunga — considered as the highest peak in the world at that time.
- His predecessor, Sir George Everest, was interested in high-altitude hills and had deputed Waugh to take charge. In true colonial spirit, Waugh called it the Mount Everest.
- The Indian mathematician and surveyor, Radhanath Sikdar, was an able mathematician.
- He was the first person to show that Mount Everest (then known as peak XV) was the world’s highest peak.
- George Everest had appointed Sikdar to the post of ‘Computer’ in the Survey of India in 1831.
- In 1852, Sikdar, with the help of a special device, recorded the height of ‘Peak 15’ at 8,839 metres. However, it was officially announced in March 1856.
Subject: Geography
Section: Climatology
Context: ‘Heat domes’ have also been associated with unusually warm periods in India, Bangladesh, China and some other Asian countries.
More on the News:
- Places across the southwest and eastern parts of the United States recorded temperatures as warm as those seen in late June or early July, and the unusual warming was caused by a phenomenon known as ‘heat domes’
- ‘Heat domes’ are natural phenomena that have also been associated with unusually warm periods in India, Bangladesh, China and some other Asian countries.
- This season’s first heat dome set off heatwaves in as many as 48 states in the US and fears of wildfires loom large.
- Over the years, heat domes have created some of the most fatal heat waves in North America, among other regions. Creating records for some of the highest temperatures ever recorded in the continent, these waves have caused thousands of deaths.
- Stopping heat domes from forming altogether is not possible, as they are a natural weather phenomenon. But as the threat of climate change continues to creep up, heat domes are getting more intense.
Heat Dome:
- A heat dome is a type of high-pressure system that forms over a large area in the atmosphere, and causes extremely hot and dry weather conditions. The system traps hot air and prevents it from flowing to rise and cool.
- This air then becomes compressed and heats up, leading to a dome-shaped area of hot air that can persist for several days or even weeks.
- Heat domes can cause dangerous heat waves causing the temperatures to shoot up.
- Due to climate change, heat domes have not only become more frequent but also a lot more intens The rising temperatures and changes in weather patterns are creating conditions that are assisting their formation.
Causes of Heat Dome:
- Change in Atmospheric Pressure: Heat waves begin when high pressure in the atmosphere moves in and pushes warm air toward the ground.
- High-pressure systems often bring clear skies, which means there is less reflection of sunlight and more absorption of heat. Locations with a lot of land and relatively dry air, such as plains and deserts, serve as a favourable condition for heat domes to form as well.
- Change in Ocean Temperature:
- In the process known as convection, the gradient causes more warm air, heated by the ocean surface, to rise over the ocean surface.
- As prevailing winds move the hot air east, the northern shifts of the jet stream trap the air and move it toward land, where it sinks, resulting in heat waves.
- Climate Change: Climate change has led to warmer background temperatures, exacerbating the high-pressure system.
Impact of Heat Dome:
- Heat-related illnesses: Heat domes can cause a spike in heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heatstroke. Vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and those with pre-existing medical conditions are at a higher risk.
- Wildfires: The high temperatures and dry conditions caused by heat domes can increase the risk of wildfires. The heat can also exacerbate the spread of fires.
- Crop damage: Heat domes can cause crop damage due to high temperatures and drought conditions. This can lead to lower crop yields and economic losses for farmers.
- Infrastructure damage: High temperatures can cause damage to infrastructure such as roads, buildings, and power lines.
- Water shortages: Heat domes can lead to drought conditions, which can cause water shortages and impact water supplies for both people and wildlife.
- Air pollution: High temperatures can lead to increased levels of air pollution, which can exacerbate respiratory problems and other health issues.
Combating Heat Dome:
- Reducing greenhouse emissions: Transitioning to renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency and promoting sustainable transportation, can be measures in achieving a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as it is critical to mitigating the impacts of heat domes in long terms.
- Investing in green infrastructure: Cities can invest in green infrastructure, such as parks, green roofs, and tree planting, which can help reduce the urban heat island effect and provide cooling benefits.
- Implementing building codes and standards: Building codes and standards can help ensure that new buildings are designed to withstand extreme heat and maintain indoor comfort during heat waves.
- Reducing heat-trapping surfaces: Cities can take steps to reduce the amount of heat-trapping surfaces, such as asphalt and concrete, which can exacerbate the urban heat island effect.
- Enhancing public education and outreach: Educating the public about the risks of extreme heat and how to stay safe during heat waves can help reduce the incidence of heat-related illness and mortality.
For, Relationship between heat domes and the jet stream https://optimizeias.com/what-is-causing-the-winter-heat-wave-in-europe/#:~:text=What%20is%20a%20heat%20dome,conditions%20with%20every%20passing%20day.
9. Elephant seals enter ‘sleep spiral’ during deep ocean dives
Subject: Environment
Section: Species in news
Context: Northern elephant seals might be masters of multitasking in the animal kingdom because they’ve learned how to sleep and dive at the same time — all while avoiding predators.
More on the News:
- The elephant seals can spend seven or eight months on foraging trips in the North Pacific Ocean and travel for thousands of miles away from land, which led researchers to question how and where the marine mammals sleep in the high seas.
- A new study, involving seals fitted with caps similar to those worn by humans in sleep clinics, revealed that the seals sneak in short naps during deep dives while holding their breath.
- When the seals experience sleep paralysis as they enter rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep, they lose control of their posture and continue to spiral down in a corkscrew pattern. The researchers refer to this as a “sleep spiral.”
- The research marked the first time scientists recorded brain activity in free-ranging wild marine mammals, capturing data from 104 sleep dives.
- The 10-minute naps during these 30-minute dives help elephant seals get about two hours of sleep per day during foraging trips, as opposed to the 10 hours they catch while snoozing on the beach during breeding season.
Elephant Seal:
- Elephant seals are large marine mammals that belong to the family Phocidae, also known as “true seals.”
- There are two species of elephant seals, the northern elephant seal and the southern elephant seal, both of which are found in the Pacific Ocean.
- Northern Elephant Seals:
- Northern elephant seals are found across the Pacific coast of the United States, Canada and Mexico.
- They generally breed and give birth in California and Baja California. That too usually on offshore islands from December to March. They fast during mating season, losing perhaps a third of their body weight.
- Southern Elephant Seals:
- Southern elephant seals are the largest of all seals. They live in sub-Antarctic and Antarctic waters that feature brutally cold conditions.
- Southern elephant seals breed on land but spend their winters in the frigid Antarctic waters near the Antarctic pack ice.
- These seals are known for their large size, with adult males weighing up to 4,500 kg and reaching lengths of up to 6.5 meters.
- Elephant seals are known for their unique lifestyle, spending most of their lives at sea and only coming ashore for breeding and molting.
- They are known for their deep dives, with some individuals reaching depths of up to 2,000 meters and staying underwater for over two hours at a time.
- These seals play an important role in the marine ecosystem, as they are a key predator of squid and fish. Additionally, their nutrient-rich feces contribute to the growth of phytoplankton, which form the base of the marine food chain.