Underwater trip

Shot from the backs of sea lions (Neophoca cinerea), the video and images show the viewer six habitats, 5 to 110 metres off the coast of Australia. These include: Macroalgae Reef, Macroalgae Meadow, Bare Sand, Sponge/Sand, Invertebrate Reef and Invertebrate Rocks. These biotopes range from underwater kelp forests and barren sandy bottoms to complex communities on reefs and rocks teeming with diverse marine life.

Using video recordings of animals and data on the movements of benthic predators is a really effective way of mapping diverse benthic biotopes across large areas of the seabed.
– says lead author of the study, researcher Nathan Angelakis from the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Research and Development Institute.

He adds that the data is useful both in mapping critical habitats for endangered species such as the Australian sea lion and, more broadly, in mapping unexplored areas of the seabed.

Watch the recording of the sea lion’s underwater journey: video

The team used around 89 hours of video footage to model habitats on the South Australian continental shelf near Kangaroo Island. The models predicted large areas of habitat near the coast. The models also used oceanographic data from 21 years of observations and measurements by different teams to provide a more complete picture of the coastal environment.

Attaching cameras to marine mammals is not a new idea. In 2022, a team of researchers used dolphins to capture footage off the coast of California. But a recent study shows how such an approach could work can be used for nature conservation.

In a new study The team also added GPS loggers to the sea lions, which provide satellite communicationThis made it possible to track the animals’ locations in real time. Pinpointing their location and speed allows researchers to track them even in the depths of the ocean. In 2023, a group of researchers studying the sleep patterns of elephants did the same.

Australia’s sea lion population has declined by more than 60% in the past four decades, according to a 2021 paper . New videos showing the animals’ backs serve two purposes: They provide researchers with new data about the marine environment near the coast, while also mapping their habitat so the species can be protected.