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.
