Seals and sea lions undergo hearing tests in Australian research

Loading the video No Comment Video. Seals and sea lions undergo hearing tests in Australian research Copy/paste the link below: Copy/paste the article video embed link below: Updated: 09/10/2026 - 14:45 GMT+2 Australia's scientists have trained seals and sea lions to take hearing tests at Sydney's Taronga Zoo, hoping to better understand how human-made noise affects marine mammals. Two sea lions and two fur seals learned to press a paddle whenever they heard a tone, receiving fish as a reward for correct responses. The study, reported on 9 October, found the animals were most sensitive to sounds around 3.2 kilohertz. Researchers say the results provide a starting point for assessing noise from ships, aircraft and coastal construction. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The findings are particularly important for the endangered Australian sea lion, whose population is estimated at just 12,000. These animals rely on hearing to communicate, find food, navigate and detect danger. Lead researcher Christine Erbe, from Curtin University, said scientists first needed to establish which sounds the animals could hear before measuring their impact. The results could help guide environmental assessments and noise controls as maritime industries expand. Researchers now plan to investigate how underwater noise affects the animals' hearing and behaviour. Australia Zoology Sydney seal Noise research Ocean Top stories Now playing Next Seals and sea lions undergo hearing tests in Australian research Now playing Next Spain: Madrid protesters mourn evicted pensioner Maricarmen Abascal Now playing Next Cars burned and shops looted as anti-immigration protests rock South Africa Now playing Next Latest news bulletin | October 9th, 2026 – Morning Now playing Next ‘I still want to verify this’: Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay’s first reaction Now playing Next Chile: Santiago flooding turns streets to rivers as Kast declares state of catastrophe Now playing Next US sailors reunite with families as USS Abraham Lincoln returns home Now playing Next Mélenchon declares ‘Bastille retaken’ after major student rally Now playing Next Marco Rubio calls Portugal 'ideal gateway' to Europe for US Now playing Next Inside Kazakhstan’s rock-hewn mosques now recognised by UNESCO In partnership with MDQ Now playing Next Fire rages at Yandex data centre after Ukraine drone attack Now playing Next French students 'retake Bastille', Trump 'unwilling' to help Ukraine Now playing Next Inside Kazakhstan’s historic rock-hewn mosques now recognised by UNESCO Now playing Next Jurist Navi Pillay wins Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 Now playing Next Violence is 'not general' in French students protests, MEP says Now playing Next Associate EU membership 'very interesting' for New Zealand, says former prime minister ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT No Comment Deadly floods sweep Albania and Montenegro as rivers burst banks No Comment Hundreds of farmers rally in Paris against EU-Mercosur pact and import fears No Comment Tiny turtles take their first steps towards the sea No Comment Heavy autumn snow paralyses roads in Russia’s Far East Europe Today Latest attacks on Ukraine are ‘war crimes done by Putin’, says Ukrainian politician Climate Hungary's 2026 drought is the country's most severe in 126 years, data shows Europe Today Rima Hassan denies throwing the EU flag to the floor at 7 October commemoration USA 'Modern-day Thomas Edison': Trump awards Elon Musk top US science medal USA US military will livestream the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter, 'torture' for UN Europe Today Europe Today: French students 'retake Bastille', Trump 'unwilling' to help Ukraine World News Fire rages at Yandex data centre after Ukraine drone attack Europe News ‘We will continue’: Madrid protesters pay tribute to 87-year-old woman ADVERTISEMENT Sport Tsunoda Claims World Gold as Murao Retains His Title in Baku Europe News Mélenchon declares ‘Bastille retaken’ after major student rally in Paris Europe News Marco Rubio calls Portugal 'ideal gateway' to Europe for US during Lisbon visit No Comment French students clash with police as school protests continue Azerbaijan Experts in Baku urge action as missing persons surge worldwide and in Ukraine Focus Turkmenistan marks 35 years of independence with an eye on the future Culture news Michael Jackson memorabilia including iconic Thriller jacket to go under the hammer Europe News EU presses Russia for more details on suspected plague case ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT