A group of American students see nothing unusual about travelling halfway around the world to survey the public about a marine creature they'd never heard of - the New Zealand sea lion.
The students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts have come to New Zealand to survey public perceptions of the mammal.
They want to determine the extent of public awareness of sea lions and the effectiveness of information and education material about them.
For engineering students Andrew Egger (20), from Eastern Massachusetts, and Matthew Dunster (20), from Flanders, New Jersey, it's a trip of a lifetime.
''It's amazing. It's really interesting to explore a new country. I love it here - it is so beautiful,'' Mr Dunster said.
Being an American with no knowledge of sea lions was an advantage, they said.
They could provide an outside perspective, as they had no opinions on the subject.
The polytechnic's Global Projects Programme was part of its push to ensure its graduates were well-rounded and more prepared when they entered the job market by taking part in a social science-based project.
''This survey involves talking to people instead of sitting behind a desk solving problems.''
As part of the sea lion project students are spending time in Wellington, Dunedin, the Catlins, Invercargill and Stewart Island.
They are asking members of the public to take part in a three-minute survey gauging public knowledge and support for sea lions.
So far the response had been good and, not surprisingly, the knowledge of sea lions was greater among people in Dunedin than in Wellington, Mr Egger said.
''They were a bit more hesitant and didn't know much.''
The American pair and their two team-mates aimed to provide their analysis to the Department of Conservation and New Zealand Sea Lion Trust in March.
