Investigating planning behavior in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) using computerized MAZE testing

Computerized cognitive testing has significantly advanced our understanding of animal cognition by enabling standardized and efficient data collection. This testing has been widely applied to primates, and comparable research in marine mammals is limited. The present study investigated planning behavior in California sea lions ( Zalophus californianus ) using a maze task with the Enclosure Video Enrichment (EVE) system at the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program (MMP). The purpose was to determine the extent to which sea lions employ planning strategies when navigating mazes of varying difficulty. Seven adult male sea lions completed 200 testing trials, consisting of 100 unique layouts separated into four trial blocks that were repeated randomly across eight testing sessions. Success rates and response patterns were analyzed to assess cognitive flexibility, planning, and problem-solving strategies. The successful performance of the task required the use of short-term forward planning to avoid obstacles and reach the target. Results demonstrated moderate success rates without improvement across repeated exposures, indicating limited evidence of planning behavior and learning. These findings expand comparative cognition research by emphasizing how adaptations and environmental conditions influence species-specific cognition.