UAS Professor Ellen Chenoweth came up with the idea of a virtual whale necropsy in fall of 2020 as many student activities, including Sitka’s annual Whalefest science festival, moved online. UAS Professor of Marine Biology, Jan Straley, and Chenoweth requested a grant from the University of Alaska Biomedical Learning and Student Training (BLaST) program to develop a virtual whale watch. This video would provide information about how scientists study whales on the water.
Chenoweth suggested requesting additional funds for Josh Houston, a Sitka-based drone pilot and digital 3D modeler, to scan a dead whale in case one happened to show up during the next year. Chenoweth and Houston joined KCAW’s Erin Fulton on the Morning Interview to discuss the project. Listen here:
