Research in the Bartol Marine Biomechanics Lab focuses on the physiological ecology and biomechanics of marine animals, with an emphasis on locomotive processes.  At present Dr. Bartol and his students are using 2D digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) and 3D defocusing digital particle image velocimetry (DDPIV) to study global flow patterns around swimming squids, boxfishes, and sea turtle hatchlings.  These techniques involve training animals to swim in a water tunnel seeded with light reflective particles.  The particles are illuminated using either a sheet (DPIV) or cylinder (DDPIV) of light produced by two pulsed lasers (see image below).  The lasers are synchronized with either a double-shot DPIV or 3-aperture DDPIV video camera, allowing for the collection of a series of "paired" images of the flow around the swimming animals.  Using cross-correlation, the particle displacements are determined within these paired images, and velocity vector fields are produced.  In addition to using these laser-based flow quantification systems, body movements of the animals are recorded during swimming in the water tunnel  using high-speed cameras.  This footage is used in conjunction with DPIV and DDPIV to better understand thrust/lift production and swimming efficiency.

Experimental set-up used in DPIV experiments (left) and a video frame of a brief squid Lolliguncula brevis swimming in a field of illuminated particles (right).