See what can happen to plankton swarms

Researches from Oregon State University have been able to film blue whales gulping swarms of krill.

But which swarm is worth feeding on from the whales’ perspective?

“Every time a blue whale opens its mouth, it’s like putting on the brakes, it slows way down so these animals have to make decisions about what’s worth opening their mouth for.” says Dr. Torres.

And from the planktons´ perspective, what is the benefit of forming swarms when it apparently does not yield protection from predators? This is a question we are going to address during Sea Patches.