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SNOTBOT ®. CREDIT: OCEAN ALLIANCE, INC.
RESEARCH ASSISTANT: The SnotBot helps scientists collect “snot” samples from whales.
Thar she blows! Whenever a whale surfaces, it exhales a mighty breath from its blowhole. This creates a spray of seawater and bacteria—a mixture sometimes referred to as “whale snot.” Researchers at Ocean Alliance in Massachusetts have created a tool to help scientists collect this spray: the SnotBot.
The SnotBot collects snot droplets on petri dishes, as seen on the top left of the drone.
The SnotBot is a type of drone outfitted with specialized attachments. When a SnotBot flies through a whale’s spray, it collects snot droplets on petri dishes. These samples contain the naturally occurring microbes that live inside the whale. This data can provide valuable information about the whale’s health.
DRONE ON DUTY: A SnotBot flies into a whale’s spray to collect data without causing the animal harm.