Romualdo PASTOR-SATORRAS - From Noise to Order: Physics and Function in Collective Fish Behavior

The synchronized movement of fish schools offers a paradigmatic example of how biological complexity can be understood through the lens of active matter and statistical physics. In this seminar, we will present an overview of our recent research bridging these disciplines. We will consider a stochastic description of schooling dynamics that decouples collective trajectories from individual fluctuations. Building on this physical baseline, we will show how individual heterogeneity—specifically variation in risk perception—drives the spatial organization of the group, and how the school operates near a critical point to facilitate efficient information transfer through behavioral avalanches. Finally, we will examine the microscopic roots of these phenomena, introducing a force-map analysis that reveals how selective social interactions and speed-induced leadership govern the emergence of global order.