Episode 024 - Dr. Vanessa Pirotta captures whale snot to assess Humpback Whale health

Dr. Vanessa Pirotta is a Woman in STEM, science communicator, marine scientist and presenter. Her research is focused on cetacean (whale, dolphin and porpoise) conservation. She loves sharing her research and engaging people with STEM. Vanessa’s most well-known research involves the use of emerging technologies such as drones for whale conservation. Vanessa has led pioneering research in collaboration with industry experts to develop custom-built, waterproof drones to collect whale snot (visible plume of spray) from large whales for an assessment of whale health. Whale research has taken Vanessa around the world including Tonga, Antarctica and most recently, Madagascar. In this episode we talk in depth about her research with humpback whales, drones, microbes.