Emerging frontiers in visual ecology

Visual ecology, the study of how animals acquire and respond to visual information in nature, has grown rapidly over the past few decades. Research in this field has transformed our understanding of fundamental processes, such as the neurobiological basis of behavior and the diversification of species through sensory drive. The recent growth in the field has been accompanied by leaps in our understanding of the diversity of visual systems and in the development of novel technologies and techniques (for example, those allowing us to measure scenes and signals). With such growth, however, it is more important than ever to integrate wide perspectives and expertise to move the field forward in the most productive way. To that end, in summer 2024, 30 visual ecologists from around the world – spanning all career stages – met to discuss the state of the field. From that meeting, we identified two broad emerging themes in the study of visual ecology. (1) Can we further ‘step inside’ the perceptual experience of a non-human animal? (2) Can foundational ‘rules’ of vision and visual stimuli be identified? Although large questions such as these can feel unanswerable, this is where some of the most exciting discoveries in visual ecology remain to be made. Here, we outline eight relevant areas of research and identify ways in which researchers can bring us closer to answering these complex questions.