Aussie Scientists Spy On Underwater Life

November 19, 2007

Release from: United Press International

PERTH, Australia - Scientists are installing underwater acoustic stations off the coast of Western Australia to track the sounds of marine life.

More than 100 receivers along the Ningaloo Reef and at Coral Bay, on the state's northwest coast, will pick up signals from ultrasonic tags attached to a string of fish species, including gray reef sharks and manta rays.

Dr. Russell Babcock, head of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization's marine section, says the three-year project is a ground-breaking study.

"We are using this method to get an understanding of the whole ecosystem. ... It's the first time it has been done on this scale anywhere in the world," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

The study will investigate how far fish move and the area of reef they need for feeding and foraging. In turn, it will help decide whether existing marine protection zones are adequate, Babcock said.