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The dynamic shear moduli of whale blubber
Michael P Summers1, John P Parmigiani1
1Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
Biorheology
|March 28, 2015
Summary
Whale blubber's viscoelastic properties, specifically storage and loss moduli, show consistent variation with frequency and depth. This research provides valuable data for whale tag design and hydrodynamics, despite using necrotic tissue samples.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Biophysics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Whale blubber is a crucial adipose tissue with significant viscoelastic properties.
- Understanding these properties is vital for whale tracking tag design, hydrodynamics, and acoustic studies.
- Blubber's characteristics can aid in studying animal behavior and mitigating ship strikes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the dynamic shear storage and loss moduli of whale blubber at varying depths.
- To analyze the non-collagen and collagen protein content in relation to viscoelastic properties.
- To establish correlations between protein composition and the mechanical behavior of blubber.
Main Methods:
- Blubber samples were collected from stranded whales (humpback, sperm, gray) in the Pacific Northwest.
- A rotational rheometer was used to measure shear moduli across frequencies from 0.31 Hz to 25 Hz.
- Protein content was determined using a standardized staining protocol.
Main Results:
- Storage and loss moduli exhibited highly consistent frequency-dependent variations across all tested samples.
- Log-linear and extended polynomial models achieved R-squared values of at least 0.96 for frequency variations.
- Depth-dependent variations in moduli were reasonably approximated by fourth-order polynomial fits.
- Protein content showed species-specific variations.
Conclusions:
- Despite the use of necrotic tissue, the observed consistency in frequency and depth-dependent moduli variations suggests broader applicability.
- No significant correlation was found between protein content and the measured moduli values.
- The findings offer insights into the biomechanical properties of whale blubber for potential applications.
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