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Exploration of Deep Ocean Habitats by Using Animal-borne Video
Context:
- The researchers in Australia identified six benthic habitats spanning 5,000 square km of seabed in southern Australia using video data captured by sea lions.
- The data is valuable for both protecting endangered species and surveying other marine species.
More on News:
- Many underwater habitats in Australia remain unmapped and poorly understood.
- Traditional seabed mapping methods are costly, weather-dependent, and challenging for deep and remote areas.
- Researchers in Australia have used endangered Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea) equipped with cameras to map these habitats.
- Eight adult female sea lions from Olive Island and Seal Bay were fitted with lightweight cameras and tracking devices.
- This approach provides crucial insights into seabed environments and aids in conserving endangered sea lions, whose populations have declined over 60% in the past 40 years.
- Animal-borne video is a cost-effective and efficient method for future seabed mapping, offering a predator’s perspective to enhance understanding and improve maps.
Overview of Australian sea lion:
- Common Name: Australian sea lion
- Scientific Name: Neophoca cinerea
- Type: Mammal
- Diet: Carnivorous, consuming fish and invertebrates such as squid
- Average Lifespan: Between 17 and 25 years
Habitat and Distribution:
- They are the only seals endemic to Australia.
- Native to the Australian region, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean.
- They are non-migratory and thus remain at their birth site, living and breeding on sandy beaches in relatively large colonies.
Body Specifications:
- This species is sexually dimorphic, with adult males being up to twice the length and weight of females.
- Males are dark blackish to chocolate brown with a whitish crown and nape, while females have a silvery-grey topcoat and yellow to cream-coloured fur below.
- Pups are covered in chocolate brown fur, which they lose after their first moulting stage.
- Other Physical Features: Endothermic, homoiothermic, bilateral symmetry
- Breeding Season: The breeding season shifts throughout the year due to the non-annual cycle.
Behaviour:
- Females nursing and protecting pups other than their own and sometimes adopting pups if their mothers are lost.
- They may also engage in “babysitting behaviour” within groups, but some females may exhibit aggression towards non-filial pups.
- Males do not participate in parental care; they may commit infanticide and harass females.
- They also swallow gastroliths, small stones, to aid in diving.