bolt
Short
visibility
1.2K views
schedule
0:29
CULCHR.TV
Watch tiny plankton ‘surf’ ocean currents
0:00
thumb_up 18
2026 9 months ago
Tiny aquatic organisms like plankton are considered passive drifters, moving at the mercy of ocean currents. But reporting in the Journal of Experimental Biology, scientists show some of these microorganisms don’t just drift—they surf.
The researchers chose a zooplankton—the larvae of the common slipper shell snail. They placed 2000 of the larvae in a small tank equipped with eight water jets, which created different levels of turbulence similar to ocean currents. The scientists then added tracer particles to the water tank and shined a plane of laser light through the tank’s center, which allowed them to trace the planktons’ changing velocity and direction.
The turbulence traps a larva in a vortex, which has fluid moving up one side and down the other. The larvae are negatively buoyant, or tend to sink, so they swim upward to stay adrift. A vortex in a turbulent flow, represented by the light-blue vectors (water velocity relative to the larvae), tilts the plankton into downward-moving fluid, making them sink further. However, the larvae also tilt their bodies against the swirl and swim to the other side, into upward-moving fluid, represented by the dark blue vector (plankton velocity relative to the fluid). Because the larva repositions itself in a direction pointing toward upward fluid velocity, it takes advantage of the turbulent flow to travel aloft.
By surfing the flow, mature larvae double their average speeds, making them better hunters of other phytoplankton in the upper layers of the ocean.
Read more: https://scim.ag/4buWCbM
FOOTAGE CREDIT: MICHELLE DIBENEDETTO
#Biology #Science #ScienceShorts
Vintage
Sneakers
Streetwear
Gaming
Travel
Food
Tech
Kids
Reselling
Sports
Comedy
Entertainment
Skate
Cards
Retro
Business
Music
Learn
News
Art
Outdoors
Docuseries
Anime
Wrestling
Lifestyle
Auto
Reality
Shopping
Luxury
Military
Sci-Fi
International
Western
Weather
Movie
Engineering
Gameshow
Home
Local
Relaxation
bolt More Shorts
1:36
visibility 2
Dating in the Aurignacian is Hard
0:32
visibility 9.7K
Glutathione induces trap closure for carnivory in Cape sundew
0:47
visibility 72.3K
Did you know that molds digest their foods just like humans do?
0:53
visibility 4.4K
These sperm whales join forces to help a newborn calf
1:10
visibility 169
How much do you really know about red pandas?
1:12
visibility 95.7K
Andrew investigates his family history
1:34
visibility 5.6K
How the Potato Famine decimated Ireland
0:55
visibility 594.2K