This work was led by postdocs Yuchen Gong and Fidji Berio, former student Xuewei Qi, and collaborator Otar Akanyeti with his student Robert Sterling.

The finding suggests that bioinspired robotic swarms may sustain coordination under energy limitation if each agent adjust its locomotion locally rather than relying on changes in formation.

Cohesion was preserved because each fish adjusted its swimming mechanics in a way that kept propulsive efficiency. Collective coordination was maintained through individual kinematic compensation, not through changes in school structure.

As oxygen dropped, tail-beat frequency fell, amplitude increased, and swimming efficiency remained stable. The school held together because each fish adjusted its kinematics rather than its position.

We reduced oxygen stepwise from 95% to 20% while fish swam at the same speed. If hypoxia disrupts collective behavior, we would expect spacing or alignment to shift early. They didn’t. The school remained cohesive until oxygen reached the point where individual fish could no longer sustain swimming.

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Amazing!

Detox enzymes rose by ~200 %, but escape distances dropped by ~50 %. Energy spent on detox may leave fish less able to evade predators, revealing hidden trade-offs created by harmful algal blooms.

Thank you, Sarah! Beautifully written Outside JEB! @jexpbiol.bsky.social

Thank you!