Numerous paths towards orientation and navigation in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina)

Harbor seals are central place foragers that leave and return to few specific places along the coast for hauling out. While their homing behavior is already well-described, researcher have so far only speculated about its underlying mechanisms. In my research group, we are investigating orientation and navigation behavior in harbor seals using numerous methodological approaches from behavioral experiments targeting (visual/multisensory/time) perception or orientation mechanisms in the lab, in virtual reality, and in the open ocean to modelling wild seals’ behavior and non-invasive neurophysiological techniques.