Remnants of latex rubber weather balloons and foam boxes with scientific instruments washed up recently on the southwest coast of Victoria, where they were discovered by beach patrol crews. According to local media, the half-dozen or so balloons were carrying a radiosonde to measure temperatures, wind speed, wind direction and relative humidity. The balloons had been launched from Tasmania for a research project hosted by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and the US Department of Energy. The launch site on the northwest tip of Tasmania is considered the location of the planet's purest air, making it a preferred spot for scientists' climate studies.
Heath Powers, the project's operations manager, said in an Australian Broadcasting Corporation report that scientists are testing more eco-friendly ways to conduct these studies without creating such an impact on marine life.