<
https://theconversation.com/sea-lions-wearing-cameras-and-trackers-map-new-habitats-235956>
"Across the world’s oceans, our knowledge of the seafloor is very limited.
Mapping and studying deep, remote offshore areas is difficult, expensive and
time-consuming. So much of the ocean has not yet been explored.
But what if marine mammals could help? In our new research, my colleagues and I
attached underwater cameras and trackers to eight Australian sea lions
(
Neophoca cinerea) from two colonies in South Australia. The sea lions
explored unmapped areas of the ocean, found new reefs, and revealed amazing
diverse habitats on the seafloor.
This turned out to be a very effective way to map large areas. That’s because
we could use the information to predict habitats in areas the sea lions didn’t
visit. These predictive computer models could also be used to assess how the
various habitats might correspond to different environmental conditions.
Improving our understanding of how seafloor habitats function, and how human
activity may change them, will be crucial if we are to protect these vital
ecosystems in the future."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
