Snotbots to help know more about whales

Sir Patrick Stewart is supporting a project that involves whale snot collection. Purpose-built drones called snotbots designed by Ocean Alliance will collect whale mucus or snot and it will be then studied by experts.

These drones can trail whales near the ocean’s surface and the research team will stay about a half mile back. The drone will fly above water surface and unaware whale and will collect mucus expelled from whale's blowhole to collect a sample that it will exhale from its lung.

Researchers think that a lung lining sample from whale can provide important information on many things including environmental toxins, bacteria and viruses in the animal’s system. The Ocean Alliance team has affirmed that it has carefully developed the drones and has even tested them.

The drones are waterproof and will transmit data from sensors. In order to generate funds, Ocean Alliance has launched Kickstarter campaign with an aim to raise at least US$225,000.

With the help of funding, the team will send snotbots to study three different types of whales off the coasts of Alaska, Patagonia and Mexico's Baja peninsula. Patrick Stewart has been supporting the initiative in the campaign pitch video.