It sounds like something straight out of a science fiction novel: The Navy is interested in coating its ships in shark skin to reduce costs and increase speed and stealth. Don't worry, animal lovers... it's synthetic shark skin, made of flexible silicone, and it's being developed at the University of Applied Sciences in Bremen, Germany.

Shark scales flex individually, constantly changing and limiting the amount of exposed surface area on which organisms can attach, scientists have learned.

Ralph Liedert of the University of Applied Sciences in Bremen, Germany has developed a synthetic shark skin of elastic silicone that similarly reduces the contact surface, making it harder for barnacles to gain a foothold.

While simpler in design than shark scales, the ship skin reduced bio-fouling by 67 percent in tests, Liedert will report this week at the Society for Experimental Biology's annual meeting in Barcelona.
With the fake skin applied, a ship moving at 4-5 knots becomes self-cleaning, removing most organisms, Liedert found.

A self-cleaning hull would definitely be beneficial to the Navy.

The growth of barnacles, mussels, algae and other organisms adds to fuel costs for the military and shipping industry, increasing drag by up to 15 percent, scientists say. In the industry, it's called bio-fouling.

The Navy spends about $600 million each year to power ships and submarines. At least $50 million of that cost is directly related to bio-fouling, says Navy scientist Stephen McElvany.

Currently, the Navy uses a biocide paint on its ships to prevent barnacle and algae growth. Unfortunately, this paint is toxic to other sea life as well, so replacing it with synthetic shark skin would be good for both the Navy and marine life that comes in contact with Navy ships. The shark skin coating may also allow submarines to move more quickly and quietly through the water.

Maybe sharks aren't such fucking assholes after all?

Mike11

Titusville, FL

OLD SKOOL

JUL 16, 2005 04:08 PM

Thats pretty cool.

aegies

Oakland, CA

June 2004

JUL 16, 2005 04:15 PM

this is non-medical research science at it's best.

FUKNDUBN

Winchester, KY

February 2005

JUL 16, 2005 05:05 PM

hmmmm....no shit.

FUKNDUBN

Winchester, KY

February 2005

JUL 16, 2005 05:07 PM

hmmmm....no shit.

Pete

United Kingdom

July 2004

JUL 16, 2005 06:53 PM

coolies

zenFish

Vancouver, BC

August 2004

JUL 16, 2005 07:06 PM

crazy.

wonder how long it'll be before this gets put into civial use? (for the same reasons on normal fishy trawlers, and pleasure craft to cut down on the polluting end of it.)

freshprncebelair

Ellicott City, MD

June 2004

JUL 16, 2005 08:06 PM

Mike said:
Thats pretty cool.

Agree'd

Wannie

Kingston, ON

March 2004

JUL 16, 2005 08:26 PM

Don't worry, animal lovers... it's synthetic shark skin

Hehe, you got me.

Sounds pretty cool though. So, if I had a shark suit I wouldn't have to waste my money on showering, right?

Samebeat

USA

September 2003

JUL 17, 2005 01:24 AM

Pirateslifeforme said:

hmmmm....no shit.

Don't think they're giving you any of that shit for your pirate ships!

avalyn

Utica, MI

March 2003

JUL 17, 2005 02:41 AM

OK, let me be the lone dissenter here, and say that skinning sharks to prevent sharks attacks is cruel.

tech29

I'm lost

July 2004

JUL 17, 2005 09:42 AM

Australia's Collins class subs already have this sort of Technology. We were able to lower cost's on them plus beat two of the US, L>A> class subs last year in war games. All we need now is a zombie class sub