51²è¹Ý

By Linda Healy
Darling Marine Center

This summer, the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center is hosting a team of researchers for a collaborative study of squid locomotion. The goal of the project is to identify critical features of muscles that control maneuvering performances in squid.

The idea for this was research sparked five years ago, during a conversation between three scientists: Ian Bartol, Paul Krueger and Joe Thompson. The topic of conversation was the unique and amazing maneuverability of squid.

"Squids are fascinating animals to study because they use two separate but coordinated propulsive systems to swim and turn: a pulsed jet and complex fin movements. Together, these systems afford squid incredible locomotive flexibility, allowing them to navigate complex habitats, change direction rapidly, or even ascend/descend vertically," Bartol said.

Bartol is a faculty member at the Old Dominion University specializing in biomechanics of marine animals. Paul Krueger, professor of mechanical engineering at the 51²è¹Ý, shares Bartol’s interest in studying maneuverability. . . .   Krueger provides expertise in movement of fluids around fins and arms of squid, as well as jet locomotion.

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