Snow Geese
Plankton Murmurations
This short video clip is from the longer video that was installed in the State of Nature exhibit. Motile single-celled green algae in water from a woodland pond (likely a Chlamydomonas species) are attracted to light (e.g., phototactic) shining into the water from above. When the surface gets too crowded, organized groups of them form and swim down away from the surface where they disperse and eventually swim back to the light (cycling like a lava lamp). Their coordinated movements are reminiscent of murmurations of birds.