‘Robust little’ vessel begins treacherous 22,000km journey around Antarctica in the name of climate science
News Source
•Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:00:11 GMT
📰 What Happened
A small orange robot boat has left Hobart to sail around Antarctica. It is just seven metres long and looks like a large kayak. Nobody is on board. It will travel about 22,000 kilometres through freezing, rough seas. Huge waves, strong winds and ice are all expected along the way. The trip should take seven to nine months. Scientists at Australia's CSIRO will collect it when it returns.
🔍 The Backstory
Oceans soak up a large share of the carbon dioxide humans release. Scientists call this an ocean sink, and it helps slow global warming. But no one knows exactly how much the Southern Ocean takes in, because it is so hard to reach. Research ships with crews cost a lot and cannot stay out all winter. Robot boats can go where people cannot.
🎯 Why It Matters
The ocean slows climate change by soaking up carbon dioxide. Better data from this trip helps scientists work out how fast the planet will warm.
A small orange robot boat has left Hobart to sail around Antarctica. It is just seven metres long and looks like a large kayak. Nobody is on board. It will travel about 22,000 kilometres through freezing, rough seas. Huge waves, strong winds and ice are all expected along the way. The trip should take seven to nine months. Scientists at Australia's CSIRO will collect it when it returns.
Oceans soak up a large share of the carbon dioxide humans release. Scientists call this an ocean sink, and it helps slow global warming. But no one knows exactly how much the Southern Ocean takes in, because it is so hard to reach. Research ships with crews cost a lot and cannot stay out all winter. Robot boats can go where people cannot.
The ocean slows climate change by soaking up carbon dioxide. Better data from this trip helps scientists work out how fast the planet will warm.