Cameras fitted to sea lions have unveiled previously unseen ocean habitats in Australia.

Video footage of a sea lion exploring the seabed has allowed researchers to identify at least six distinct benthic habitats across 5,000 square kilometres of seabed off the coast in the south of the country.

Equipped with lightweight cameras, eight adult female sea lions from the Olive Island and Seal Bay colonies explored the depths of the continental shelf, capturing 89 hours of revealing footage.

Researchers said that data collected by the sea lions could provide crucial information for protecting endangered species and also aid in surveying other marine species of interest amid changing environmental conditions.

This effort could also help expand our understanding of unexplored seabed regions.

University of Adelaide PhD student Nathan Angelakis and the South Australian Research and Development Institute highlighted the effectiveness of using live animals like sea lions as exploration tools.

He said: 'Using animal-borne video and movement data from a benthic predator is a really effective way of mapping diverse benthic habitats across large areas of the seabed.

'These data are useful both for mapping critical habitats for an endangered species such as the Australian sea lion, and more broadly, for mapping unexplored areas of the seabed.'

The innovative approach was funded by the Australian Government and the Ecological Society of Australia.