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Clingfish: harnessing
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Islands’ eekly W
VOLUME 36, NUMBER 2 • JANUARY 12, 2016
the power of suction
By Heather Spaulding Journal reporter Northern clingfish don’t look like much at a glance: basic brownish coloring, dower mouth, typically growing no larger than a few inches, but it has an unbeatable knack for attachment. The suction disc located on its belly is so powerful its attachment forces ranges between 150-250 times its body weight. To put that in perspective, humans are only one or two times their body weight. The fact its suction disc is able to adhere so well to rough surfaces, or substrate, is part of what drew scientists attention. According to Friday Harbor Labs researcher Petra Ditsche, if their ability could be replicated, there could be countless benefits to technology. Surgeons, for example may be able to benefit from a device like this. A tool that could stick to human organs without dam-
aging them could literally be a life saver. There are potentially countless uses for a super strength suction disc. A suction cup so powerful it could stick to the skin of marine mammals for an extended period of time, even during steep dives, could allow researchers to track say, an orca. One major issue researchers have in trying to understand marine mammals has been only being able to observe a small fraction of their life without being invasive. For these scientists, a water proof, durable suction cup could be invaluable. Once clingfish were analyzed under the microscope, it was possible to see why their disc was so effective. To aid with flexibility, the edge of the disc is made of hierarchical structures called papillae. Each papillae is lined with hair, or rods. This elaborate design helps the animal grasp on to the rocky substrate and
prevents water from seeping underneath, ruining the suctions lower pressure.For the last two years Ditsche has been researching clingfish at the Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington. “I was impressed with their ability to stick to slippery surfaces, and their strength.” Ditsche said. By looking at the way that nature uses certain processes, humans can glean information for their own uses as well. “We look at nature, learn from nature and try to copy it. But biological systems are complicated, usually much more complicated than technical ones,” Ditsche said. “So the first step is we study the underlying mechanisms thoughtfully, but in the next step we usually have to simplify the design in order to make it technically doable. Usually nature is still better, but we can come closer. Nature’s solutions have
often been proven over sometimes millions of years of evolution. Why not make use of that?” Ditsche and her research team molded sandpaper, the commercial kind from the hardware store, and they easily adhered to the surface. They then made rougher sandpaper by hand, gluing little pebbles to cardboard and making it steadily rougher. “The cardboard was incredibly rough before they started having trouble,” Ditsche said. “Its really quite amazing.” She began studying animal attachment in
Contributed photos/ Petra Ditsche
Northern clingfish are unique because of their powerful suction ability.
Germany, where she met Adam Summers, a professor from the Friday Harbor Laboratories. The two of them began to talk clingfish. Approximately 110 species of clingfish can be found, including one in Hawaii that can climb waterfalls reaching 300 feet. The northern clingfish are fairly common in the intertidal areas of the Pacific Northwest. Their favorite meal is limpets, according to “Attachment Challenging SubstratesFouling,
Roughness and Limits of Adhesion in the Northern Clingfish (Gobiosox Maeanuricus)” written by Ditsche, along with coauthors Dylan Wainwright and Adam Summers. “They can hold on to smooth surfaces, but they do even better on rough surfaces.” Ditsche said. This is because the clingfish need to be able to hold on to slimy algae covered rocks to keep from being
said. “So I ran down to the engine room with a flashlight to find out, but there wasn’t anything there.” Confused, Damon returned to the galley to check out the rest of the boat. When he found everything untouched, he thought it must have been an explosion on Orcas Island, or an earthquake. Damon would later find out the disturbance was a 4.8
magnitude earthquake that hit at 11:39 p.m., Dec. 29. The quake was 7.2 miles off the west coast of the San Juan Islands and 34 miles underground. “I went to sea for years for the Merchant Marine, and I’ve never experienced anything like that before, so that was a first for me,” Damon said. “It must have been a heck of an after shock.”
SEE CLINGFISH, PAGE 2
Earthquake wake up call by Anna V. Smith Journal reporter
It was cold, crisp night, just before midnight, and Scott Damon had settled down to watch a movie on his boat, docked at West Sound
Marina on Orcas Island. He had turned on his TV with the volume up high when he felt his 85-foot boat start to shake violently. “I thought it was an explosion on the boat,” Damon
EARTHQUAKE, PAGE 2
Contra Dance at Lopez Center
This Saturday, Jan. 16th at 7pm
Rip n’ Snort (Carol Noyes, Matt Hummel & Tom Collicott) with Tony Mates Calling
$10 adults / $5 Youth Come enjoy the first dance of our Winter Contra Dance series!