How Do Animals Harness Water Entry and Exit Dynamics?

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In this project the PI will synergistically integrate biological and state of the art quantitative experiments along with mathematical modeling to investigate the interfacial dynamics of coupled water entry and exit problems as manifested in animal systems. This work will focus on biological behaviors that include both water exit and entry, in particular focusing on locomotion on the water surface and animal drinking. This offers a unique underlying opportunity: to learn how nature uses the interaction of these forces and thereby develop the knowledge that will enable novel bioengineering and bio-inspired systems. The PI's approach will use mathematics, biology and engineering to investigate the hydrodynamic principles that underlie and enable specific animal water entry and exit behaviors, as well as to develop mathematical models for such complex dynamics. The PI will identify how differences in animal movement patterns, body size, and surface characteristics relate to differences in performance in fluid transport (drinking) and fluid force generation (locomotion across or through interfaces). In the modeling of interfacial dynamics, the PI will develop water exit models and also modify the current theory to integrate water entry followed by exit, as suggested by relevant aspects of animal movements. In physical experiments, the effort will quantify processes of water entry and exit with various well-controlled parameters. This approach provides a complete framework that has not been implemented in these systems before. This project will provide interdisciplinary training for graduate and undergraduate students by training them in fluid mechanics, biomechanics and biology as well as in experimental methods combined with rigorous mathematical modeling.