Researchers attached lightweight cameras, GPS units, and sensors weighing less than 1% of the sea lions' body weight to adult females from two South Australian colonies, capturing nearly 90 hours of footage across 500km and mapping 5,000 sq km of previously unmapped seabed habitats.
Using data from the sea lions, including video, environmental factors, and machine learning, the researchers generated accurate models predicting diverse seafloor habitats off Australia's south coast, effectively mapping benthic habitats in the lowest ecological zone.
The study identified six distinct benthic habitats and new reefs, revealing diverse seafloor habitats like kelp reefs, sand plains, sponge gardens, and invertebrate reef habitats, with nutrient supply, sea surface temperature, and depth as crucial influencing factors.
The study helped identify crucial habitats for conserving endangered Australian sea lions and may benefit other marine species.
Humans have explored only 5% of the world's oceans, limiting the study of sea life in the wild, but marine animals like sea lions can help map and study unexplored areas.
Knowledge of the seafloor across the world's oceans is very limited due to the challenges of using remotely operated robots, which are costly, weather-dependent, and difficult to use in remote marine areas.
The Australian sea lion population has declined by 60% over the past 40 years due to historical hunting and modern threats like commercial fishing equipment, with only about 10,000 remaining across 80 breeding sites.
The study was published in Frontiers of Marine Science and supported by funding from the Australian government and The Ecological Society of Australia.
Sources: The Guardian, Nature, The Washington Post, PopSci, Business Insider, USA Today, New Scientist, The Conversation, DIY Photography, Technology Networks, The Bharat Express News, Evrim Ağacı, The Financial Express, Xinhua News, Foreign Affairs, Interesting Engineering, Cosmos Magazine, Mirage News, DNyuz.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
