5 Jun 2025

Limpets are smarter than we might think

From Afternoons, 1:22 pm on 5 June 2025

Limpets, which are technically a type of snail, are found on rocks, boat hulls, glued to the side of jetties. 

In spite of - or maybe because of - their ubiquity, we often overlook them in favour of assuming they just sit there doing nothing. 

But it turns out that isn't the case. They're surprisingly active and adaptive. 

Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Canterbury and Limpet expert Dr Spencer Virgin joins Jesse to explain how limpets are adapting to warming seas.

Image of limpets on a rock

Photo: Dr Spencer Virgin