Australian researchers have developed a new type of swimsuit / diaper that can be put on endangered sea turtles to monitor their health.

While it may look like the turtles are wearing Baywatch-era one-pieces, it's more accurate to describe the swimsuits as nappies, used to collect faeces.

Speaking to the ABC, PhD student Owen Coffee said the attire had been used on hatchlings previously in a successful test. After scaling the swimsuits up to adult size, researchers are now able to determine what kind of food the endangered turtles eat and how often.

University of Queensland