Hearing tests reveal how sea lions and fur seals hear human-made noise
Curtin University and Taronga Conservation Society Australia researchers have conducted the first hearing tests on Australian sea lions and long-nosed fur seals, revealing what sounds these marine mammals can hear and helping assess how human-made noise could affect them.
Researchers at Curtin University and Taronga Conservation Society Australia have conducted the first hearing tests on Australian sea lions and long-nosed fur seals, revealing the sounds these marine mammals can hear. The studies, published in Conservation and Animals, trained two sea lions and two seals at Taronga Zoo Sydney to respond to sounds by pressing a paddle when they heard a tone.
Both species were most sensitive to sounds around 3.2 kilohertz, providing the first detailed baseline of hearing sensitivity for the two Australian species. Lead researcher Professor Christine Erbe stated that understanding what the animals could hear was an important first step in assessing the potential impacts of noise from human activity.
The findings could help inform environmental impact assessments and noise management as shipping, coastal development, and offshore industries expand.
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