“SoFi”, a robotic fish operated by a hydraulic pump and created from pieces made by a 3-D printer in CSAIL, could be the key to discretely observing marine life, writes Deborah Netburn of The Los Angeles Times. “I hope we can begin to peek into the secret lives of underwater creatures," said CSAIL director Daniela Rus.
Using sound waves manipulated by a Super Nintendo controller, CSAIL’s “SoFi” robotic fish “may provide biologists a fish’s-eye view of animal interactions in changing marine ecosystems,” writes JoAnna Klein for The New York Times. SoFi is fairly inexpensive and hardly disturbs surrounding marine life, making it a promising solution for underwater observation.
CSAIL researchers have developed a soft robotic fish, known as SoFi, that can “capture high-resolution photos and video with a camera built into its nose,” writes Will Dunham for Reuters. “The robot can be used as a marine biology instrument and also to measure pollution in coastal waters, to create maps, to do inspection, to monitor and track,” said Prof. Daniela Rus.
Ben Thompson of The Boston Globe reports that a new study by researchers from MIT and several other institutions finds that great white sharks swim deeper and travel farther in the Atlantic Ocean than previously thought. Using satellite tracking, the researchers were able to show the sharks were not “confined to a seasonal north-south path along the East Coast.”
A new study by researchers from MIT and several other institutions shows that great white sharks are venturing further offshore in the northern Atlantic than before, reports Philip Marcelo for the AP. “They also were found to make frequent deep dives…and spend more time at those dark depths than previous studies in the Atlantic suggest.”
UPI reporter Brooks Hays writes that MIT researchers have developed a set of mathematical equations to help identify patterns that can lead to extreme events. “If researchers can anticipate the warning signs of extreme events, mitigation efforts could be instigated sooner, potentially preventing loss of life and property,” Hays explains.
UPI reporter Brooks Hays writes about MIT spinout Open Water Power, which developed a battery that can be powered by seawater. Hays writes that the, “technology promises to extend the range and capabilities of unpiloted underwater vehicles, or UUVs.”
Science reporter Elizabeth Pennisi spotlights Institute Professor Sallie “Penny” Chisholm’s pioneering research into uncovering the secrets of Prochlorococcus. Prof. Michael Follows says that Chisholm, "has beautifully shown us how this microbe works and how the ocean world is organized."
A study co-authored by Prof. Kristin Bergmann finds that nacre or mother-of-pearl can provide information about historical ocean temperatures, writes Kavya Balaraman for Scientific American. The researchers found that the layers of mother-of-pearl “provide a good estimation of the temperatures they grow in.”
Research engineer Michael Sacarny joined forces with the Charles River Alliance of Boaters to develop a map charting the Charles River basin, reports Daniel Adams for The Boston Globe. The chart “promises to become a foundational tool of multiple efforts to study, navigate, and manage the increasingly crowded Charles.”
Graduate student Max Kaplan speaks on PRI’s Science Friday about his work recording the soundscapes of coral reefs. Kaplan explains that researchers can decipher “the health of the reef by listening over relatively long periods of time and looking at what you see in the acoustic records.”
Researchers from MIT and the University of Washington have found that centuries-old ocean currents have been keeping the Southern Ocean cold, reports Sarah Emerson for Motherboard. The researchers found that “Antarctica’s unique currents and strong westerly winds are constantly dredging up ancient currents from deep beneath the ocean’s surface.”
The Economist writes that MIT researchers have developed a new method for measuring changes in the world’s ice sheets, using earthquake sensors to monitor vibrations. “If more sensors are put into place, then Greenland’s ice sheets (and, presumably, those of other places) can be monitored on a daily basis.”
In this video, The Economist explores how MIT researchers have developed a new algorithm that can predict where and when rogue waves might strike. The algorithm “identifies groups of waves most likely to form a rogue wave. The MIT algorithm is so thrifty that a ship’s skipper can run it on a laptop.”
MIT researchers have developed an algorithm capable of predicting the onset of rogue waves, writes Jason Thomson for The Christian Science Monitor. The algorithm, “hunts through data collected about surrounding waves, sifting for signs of clusters that could coalesce and crest into one of these behemoths.”