When scientists study the actions, habitats, and/or behaviors of marine animals, they often have data logging and tracking devices attached to them. Using a variety of sensors and other electronic devices, this gadget can record data for days, weeks, or even months before coming to the surface. It will then send GPS coordinates so that researchers can take them back.
For animals with thick skins or hard bodies such as whales and turtles, the tracker can be easily attached with suction cups, hard glue, or even stitching. However, this immobilization technique can cause considerable harm to vulnerable animals such as squid, octopus, and jellyfish.
That's where the new interface comes in. It's called the Marine Sensor Bioadhesive Interface (BIMS) and was developed by a team of scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
A squid near the Azores is labeled BIMS Kayla Gardner
The interface takes the form of a thin layer of dehydrated biodegradable hydrogel coated on the bottom of the tracker. When this material comes into contact with the animal's moist skin, it absorbs seawater and rehydrates. It then forms a soft and elastic adhesive that bonds to the animal's skin, making it conform to the animal's contours.
Importantly, the installation process only takes 20 seconds. In contrast, other labeling methods can take more than 8 minutes, which can put a lot of stress on the captured animal before it is released.
The technology has been successfully tested on squid (as well as rays, flounder, and lobster) in a large seawater pool and field tests near the Azores in Portugal. Test results have shown that the interface can remain on living organisms for up to three days before being released harmlessly, and does not appear to affect their basic behavior.
In pools and field tests, the BIMS interface lasted up to three days before releasing Alain Mooney
Aran Mooney, associate scientist at Woods Hole and co-author of the Nature Communications paper on the study, said: "BIMS allows us to sense animals and oceans to better predict the impacts of climate change and other issues affecting the marine environment. "
Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia have also developed their own sophisticated, bio-friendly labeling system called Marine Skin.