French and Peruvian scientists have launched an aquatic robot to study climate changes in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

The submarine robot, nicknamed the Glider, is to uncover the peculiarities of the influential climate of the southwestern Pacific.

The area is home to a fifth of the world's fish stocks, and plays a crucial role in global weather patterns. It's full of mysteries, including a localized cooling even as the rest of the world heats up.

And the Humboldt current, which flows north to Peru from the frigid southern waters of Chile, is considered the world's most productive marine ecosystem. The deep, cold waters, rich in nutrients, are lifted to the surface and interact with the sun's energy to create life.

The team of scientists are hoping the three-month mission of the "Glider" will help to solve the riddles of the famous El Nino and La Nina weather phenomenon. The periodic oscillations are linked to floods and droughts around the world.

Alexis Chaigneau, a scientist, said, "This whole oceanographic project that we are conducting is to better understand the interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere to have a better representation in numeric models and to be able to predict over the long term what is going to happen in the long run with these issues."

Everything from a tiny satellite-controlled submarine to cloud-hugging airplanes from the US Navy will feed computers with information on the speeds of winds and the current, among other levels to be processed by technicians.

The research tactics include releasing inflatable weather balloons into the air.

(CCTV October 6, 2008)