This demonstrates latent learning. Latent learning is a type of learning which is not immediately obvious and which occurs without any type of reinforcement. So those rats who did not receive a reward learned what they needed to do even without the food reward, whereas the other rats might forget what they learned immediately.
The base assumption is that if global warming continues on its current trajectory, many of the islands in the Pacific region and many of the coastal regions around the world will cease to exist and will return to the sea.
