critter cam

A Crittercam is a research tool designed to be worn by wild animals. It combines video and audio recording with collection of environmental data such as depth, temperature, and acceleration. These compact systems allow scientists to study animal behavior without interfering with there natural habitat. Crittercam brings the animal's point of view to the scientific community. For more than a decade Crittercam gives insight into the lives of whales, sharks, seals and sea lions, sea turtles, penguins, manatees, and other marine animals. In 2002 the first prototype Crittercam designed for land animals survived its maiden voyage on a wild African lion. The critter cam was thought up by a marine biologist and filmmaker, Greg Marshall, he got the inspiration when a shark came to him during his diving trip and then it disappeared into the darkness as it went he saw a remora(sucker fish) clinging to the shark and wondered if he could put a camera in the place of the remora then he could see the sharks behaviour. Greg struggled to find someone to fund his project when he got money he bought a handheld camera(which were a new discover and hard to get) and put it in a fiberglass housing and put it on a captive turtle who didn't seem to mind. After struggle for funds he finally improved his device making it really useful for the science community.






About Crittercam. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from National Geographic Web site: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/crittercam/about.html#top