Larval snails 'surf' turbulence to rise faster
Mar 9th 2026
A lab study found larval snails rotate against turbulent flow to ride upwelling currents toward the surface, sometimes doubling their rise speed, a behavior the researchers call surfing.
- Researchers observed larval snails tilt against rotating turbulent flows, a behavior the team calls surfing.
- In a tank that mimics ocean turbulence the snails rotated against the current and moved into upwelling regions, sometimes doubling their ascent speed.
- The paper was published Dec. 19, 2025 in the Journal of Experimental Biology and was led by Michelle DiBenedetto.
- Coauthors include Rémi Monthiller, Christophe Eloy and Lauren S. Mullineaux, and funding came from WHOI, the NSF, the ERC and Princeton University Library.
- Scientists do not yet know whether surfing is intentional or a byproduct of trying to stay upright, and the team plans more experiments across species.
- Results affect models of plankton transport with implications for marine ecology, fisheries, climate science and the design of small autonomous vehicles.