Press:
Science Friday, July 31, 2026 - Dragonflies fly like fighter jets + Lake flies that dive like subs
SINC, July 31, 2026 - Unas larvas de mosca logran sobrevivir a más de 200 metros bajo el agua
Scientific American, Jul 23, 2026 - Can insects live in the ocean? These baby flies could offer clues
Science, July 23, 2026 - These insects should implode during deep dives. An unusual organ keeps them alive + podcast
Popular Science, July 23, 2026 - Insects survive 1,213 feet of pressure under water, defying physics
UBC Science news, Alex Walls, July 23, 2026 - Deep-diving insect larvae are challenging a long-held idea about why there are no insects in the ocean, thanks to adaptable air sacs.
UBC Science & Technology, Alex Walls, July 23, 2026 - Insect submariners survive the depths without imploding. UBC researchers discovered a remarkable adaptation that challenges a long-standing explanation for why insects never colonized the open ocean.
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Abstract
The absence of aquatic insects from pelagic marine habitats has been attributed to their air-filled tracheal respiratory system, which could implode at depth while undertaking diel vertical migrations to escape predatory fish. However, we found that the aquatic larvae of the lake fly Chaoborus edulis in Lake Malawi have modified their tracheal system into reinforced buoyancy-regulating air-filled sacs, allowing them to escape predatory fish by undertaking these migrations well over 200 meters deep into the lake’s anoxic hypolimnion during the day. The crush depth of their air sacs increases with each instar, with final instars resisting implosion at depths greater than half a kilometer. Contrary to expectations, these insects adapt to the extreme hydrostatic pressures of deep-water habitats, allowing them to coexist with pelagic fish.