The Geometry Of How Whale Sharks Swim

The largest fish species in the ocean, the whale shark, is spectacular for lots of reasons, not the least is that their motion is an astonishing feat of mathematics and energy conservation.  In new research,  marine scientists reveal how these massive sharks use geometry to enhance their natural negative buoyancy and stay afloat. For most animals movement is crucial for survival, both for finding food and for evading predators. However, movement costs substantial amounts of energy and while this is true of land based animals it is even more complex for birds and marine animals which travel in three dimensions. Unsurprisingly this has a profound impact on their movement patterns. read more

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