大象传媒

Whale snot is not something you鈥檇 think of as a valuable commodity, but in certain corners of the scientific community it鈥檚 proving to be just that. The marine mammal鈥檚 nasal mucus is rich in DNA, viruses, and bacteria, and it helps researchers to assess the health of certain specimens. Dr Vanessa Pirotta, a marine biologist from Macquarie University in Australia, explains how the experiment is carried out.

(Picture: Snot collecting drone flies over humpback whales off Sydney. Credit: Dr Vanessa Pirotta, drone flown by Alastair Smith/Heliguy Scientific)