Exploring Functional Morphology, Biomechanics and Biomimetics

My work in the applied science of water protection and river ecology inspired me to gain deeper understanding how animals are able to deal with the stresses of their physical environment. My research examines questions involving the biomechanics of survival in challenging environments. How does current in running waters affect mobility? What is required to attach to different surface structures? What strategies have evolved for attachment to wet, fouled surfaces, when detachment has dire consequences? I address questions related to functional surfaces in an aquatic content, underwater attachment and biomimetics using a combination of field observations and laboratory experiments. My early training often sends me back towards the applied world to think about how what I have learned might be technologically exploitable.