An external speaker connects via Bluetooth. An acrylic glass sheet protects the monitor from water and animal contact on the bottom of the cart a computer rests in a case on top. That ingenuity took the form of a plastic utility cart outfitted with a 27-inch monitor and lockable wheels. Previous research on cognitive enrichment in pinnipeds required large contraptions and proved only that they could identify stimuli on a screen, but fell short of proving they could control and interact with it. ![]() Testing the first enrichment system of its kind for marine mammals took some ingenuity: they needed a device that could be portable, inexpensive to build, quickly assembled and disassembled between sessions, and manipulable by pinnipeds - semi-aquatic, fin-footed marine mammals. And with EVE, I get to work on providing them with additional mental challenge and stimulation with a sole focus on their welfare.” “I find a lot of fulfillment working with animals trained to protect our Sailors and Marines, especially because these animals are so capable and they find their systems tasks so rewarding. “My favorite part of my job is how multifaceted it is,” Winship said. But enrichment activities such as open-ocean swims, playtime with toys, and now video games, remain central to their care programs. Roughly 300 people care for the program’s more than 120 sea lions and dolphins, all of which are trained in reconnaissance and recovery tasks marine mammals can perform better than humans. Since 1959, the Marine Mammal Program has been answering that call: dolphins and sea lions part of the program are healthy, happy, and live longer than those living in the wild thanks to world-class veterinary care. Now that other sea lions in the program have learned to play video games with EVE, that number has climbed to more than 750.įor the Navy, sea lions enjoying themselves means meeting standards laid out by the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, which calls on NIWC Pacific to deliver the highest quality of care for marine mammals. So far, research on sea lions’ interaction with EVE centers a simple goal: Are they having fun? Do they want to keep playing it? More than 450 sessions among Spike and his two friends say yes. Over that period, Spike showed improved weight maintenance and performance in voluntary health checks, though the research hasn’t definitively linked the two to gaming just yet. For Spike and his fellow gamers, that joy has translated into three years of voluntary sessions, some without the positive reinforcement of food. Spike is clearly enjoying himself, just like you or I would when noticing our practice transform into mastery. I love all the cool stuff we can look at with this research, but at the end of the day, I want to see them happy and enjoying themselves.” Winship co-leads EVE research with Mark Xitco, NIWC Pacific’s director for the Marine Mammal Program. “I really care about these animals and the lives they lead. “That’s why I’m doing this, you know?” said Kelley Winship, NMMF scientist and principal investigator for research using the Enclosure Video Enrichment (EVE) system. He turns back to the screen and positions himself to win the next game. The joy in the eye contact between him and his trainer as they celebrate a job well done - Spike with his side-to-side dance and victory yelps - is palpable and infectious. ![]() When he crosses the finish line, we cheer and his trainer rewards him with herring. His eyes track the cursor with laser-like focus. On the deck of the sea pen, it’s pure delight: Spike uses his snout to press a button and maneuver a cursor through a maze. A proven method for cognitive enrichment opens doors for more research on keeping marine mammals happy and healthy longer. ![]() Navy Marine Mammal Program, under which scientists from Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific and the National Marine Mammal Foundation (NMMF) come together to care for the Navy’s sea lions and dolphins. His ability to understand the concept of controlling a cursor on a screen, then progress through a series of more challenging games, marks the first recorded success in testing cognition of California sea lions with an animal-controlled interface. ![]() His name isn’t really Spike you can think of it more like his gamertag.
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