Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion General Science Discussion Forum Shark Skin Paves The Way For Ocean Vessals

http://scienceagogo.com/news/20050618023959data_trunc_sys.shtml

Pretty neat article, if this works by stunting the contamination of the ocean and by reducing fuel consumption then I am all for it. I wonder how much this stuff costs?

"The growth of marine organisms such as barnacles on ship hulls is a major drag for the naval industry, since their presence is one cause of increased energy costs. Researchers, led by Ralph Liedert at the University of Applied Sciences in Bremen, claim that they have solved this problem by using artificial shark skin, as its unique properties offer a structural design that prevents this so-called 'bio-fouling'. Liedert claims that covering ship hulls with artificial shark skin could help ships sail more smoothly with greater efficiency."

Sincerely,

3M SharkSkin was used on Americas Cup yachts. It's not new. Physical and chemical inhibition of marine fouling are not new, either. The trick is to make them work commercially at reasonable cost. That's never been done aside fom painting slick poison on the hull.

I recall reading an article once about using capsaicin from chili peppers to make a boat coating that repelled barnacles and mussels. It was from some research done in New Mexico, I think. I'll have to see if I can find that article posted on the net somewhere.

Rose quotes:
"It is better to die on one's feet than to live on one's knees."

But isn't it equally true Rose that:
"It's not how you died, it's how you lived"

Sounds like a good solid paradox to unravel.

I mean to live life to the fullest and die on my feet, not my knees. If I can look back on my life and not regret not having lived enough, I'll be happy. The saddest thing, as Thoreau said, would be to die and discover one had never lived.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Science channel.