Date: October 17, 2016
Source: Northeastern University
The robomussels "look
exactly like mussels but they have little green blinking lights in them,” says
Helmuth. “You basically pluck out a mussel and then glue the device to the
rock right inside the mussel bed. They enable us to link our field observations
with the physiological impact of global climate change on these ecologically
and economically important animals.”
Tiny robots have been helping
researchers study how climate change affects biodiversity. Developed by
Northeastern University scientist Brian Helmuth, the "robomussels"
have the shape, size, and color of actual mussels, with miniature built-in
sensors that track temperatures inside the mussel beds.
For the past 18 years, every 10
to 15 minutes, Helmuth, professor in the College of Science and the School of
Public Policy and Urban Affairs, and a global research team of 48 scientists
have used robomussels to track internal body temperature, which is determined
by the temperature of the surrounding air or water, and the amount of solar
radiation the devices absorb. They place the robots inside mussel beds in
oceans around the globe and record temperatures. The researchers have built a
database of nearly two decades worth of data enabling scientists to pinpoint
areas of unusual warming, intervene to help curb damage to vital marine
ecosystems, and develop strategies that could prevent extinction of certain
species.
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