LAKELAND, Fla. — Through the doors of Florida Polytechnic University’s Barnett Applied Research Center, small yet groundbreaking strides are being made.

What You Need To Know

  • Dr. Daren Watson's research at Florida Polytechnic University explores how water-walking insects survive rainfall

  • Key attributes like water repellency and buoyancy help insects stay afloat during rain

  • Watson's findings were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), advancing insect research and inspiring future studies

“We usually track the interactions one drop at a time to see how that drop interacts with the microplastics that are on top of the water,” said Dr. Daren Watson, a mechanical engineering professor.

Watson uses a rain simulator to conduct research. Each droplet mimics actual raindrops, while tiny microplastics serve as stand-ins for water-walking insects, also known as striders.

“Because of the size of the insects, we see that the study translates well with respect to these microplastics,” he said.

The Jamaica native began closely studying water striders with his team in 2021. The idea for the research came from a kayaking trip, one of his favorite activities when he’s not in the lab.

“When I’m kayaking, you can see these small insects gliding along the surface of the water, and the curiosity came. How do these insects survive during rainfall?” Watson said.

Using a high-speed camera, Watson was able to uncover the secret behind their resilience.

“What it showed us is that the insects’ morphological features enable them to withstand rainfalls, even those with drops much larger than the insects themselves,” he said.

Watson says the striders’ key attributes include water repellency, natural buoyancy and a lightweight structure.

“You can see that protective air bubble around the insect because of its extreme hydrophobicity,” he said. “So, this air bubble here helps the insect in terms of preventing drowning, and they’re able to lock beneath the surface.” 

Watson’s remarkable discovery is contributing to cutting-edge science. His findings were even published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), one of the world’s top multidisciplinary scientific journals.

“I was very elated when we got into PNAS, and it just showed the quality work that we were able to accomplish,“ he said.

Now, Watson is turning his attention to the future. His next area of study involves land-based crawlers.