US Navy Trains Sea Lions for Video Game Skills

Scientists from the US Navy Marine Mammal Program have developed a video game system called Enclosure Video Enrichment (EVE) to test the cognitive abilities of California sea lions. The system, which uses a portable cart with a monitor and game controller, has been successful in providing cognitive enrichment for the sea lions, improving their weight maintenance and performance in health checks. The Navy's Marine Mammal Program has been caring for dolphins and sea lions since 1959, training them in reconnaissance and recovery tasks. Enrichment activities such as open-ocean swims, playtime with toys, and now video games, remain central to their care programs.