Sea Slug Census: How Citizen Science & tiny vibrant animals give clues about our marine environments

Sea slugs, with their rapid life cycles, are especially sensitive to changes in their environment. This makes them invaluable indicators of broader marine ecosystem shifts, particularly those induced by human activities and climate change.

In this video Co-founder of the Sea Slug Census Professor Steve Smith talks with Stefan Andrews about the significance of the program, interesting findings and the recently launched Great Southern Reef Sea Slug Census.

Question Timecodes:

00:10: What is an indicator species?
01:10: How old do they live then? What is the range of lifespan of sea slugs?
01:44: Why do they have such bright colours?
02:50: Advice to divers looking for nudi's
04:23: Are there any areas that seem to be like really productive when it comes to sea slugs?
04:53: About the Sea Slug Census, why is this information important?
07:20: What happens with that data?
07:52: Why are we interested in doing a Sea Slug Census on the Great Southern Reef?
09:03: What would you like people to know about the Sea Slug Census and how can they get involved?