ScienceDiscovery Affects Australia

Zookeepers test marine mammal hearing using paddles

Published 11h ago · Latest report 1h ago

Covered in 2 countries

AI summary36s readNeutral

Zookeepers train seals and sea lions to take hearing tests to study ocean noise impacts.

Zookeepers in Sydney have trained fur seals and sea lions to respond to tones by pressing a paddle. Researchers at Taronga Zoo conduct these evaluations to learn how ocean noise impacts marine life. Scientists hope the study reveals the effects of human activity on aquatic mammals.

The participantsTwo fur seals and two sea lions took part in the hearing assessments at Taronga Zoo.
The purposeResearchers aim to discover how artificial ocean noise impacts marine wildlife.
The methodAnimals learned to press a paddle whenever they detected a specific audio tone.

Why it matters

Marine mammals rely heavily on underwater hearing for navigation and communication. Rising levels of ocean noise from shipping and coastal development pose growing threats to marine life.

What outlets agree on

Keepers trained two sea lions and two fur seals at Taronga Zoo to press a paddle when hearing a tone, helping scientists understand how human-made noise affects marine mammals.

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