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Chris Zadra '12 Aids Whale Conservation By Flying Drones on High Seas
Chris Zadra ‘12 pilots drones above surfaced whales and dolphins as a researcher for the nonprofit Ocean Alliance, Inc. Zadra frequently assists research teams across the globe by using drones, also called unmanned aerial vehicles, to collect breath exhaled by marine mammals and drop GPS devices fixed with suction cups onto the behemoths’ backs. Marine biologists say deploying drones is the least stressful option for the animals.
“I had never thought about whale research and conservation as a profession but when offered the opportunity to combine drones and whales I couldn’t say no,” Zadra said.
As the Instagram creator behind @SnotBot, Zadra updates followers with video clips from his research expeditions. On the side, he also enjoys producing aerial cinematography for TV and documentaries. Most recently, his work can be seen in the documentary “Last of The Right Whales.”
Zadra earned his bachelor’s degree in Applied Science and a master’s degree in Technical Entrepreneurship from Lehigh University.
How did you get started in your profession?
"I always had an interest in drones, robotics, RC controlled and autonomous things. After college I was networking with former classmates and looking to get involved in small drone startups when I got introduced to the CEO of a small whale research nonprofit using drones in innovative ways to study whales. Over the last few years, I have helped develop a robust drone program at Ocean Alliance and now I can’t imagine doing anything else!"
"I always had an interest in drones, robotics, RC controlled and autonomous things. After college I was networking with former classmates and looking to get involved in small drone startups when I got introduced to the CEO of a small whale research nonprofit using drones in innovative ways to study whales. Over the last few years, I have helped develop a robust drone program at Ocean Alliance and now I can’t imagine doing anything else!"
What is your proudest accomplishment since graduation from Sage Hill School?
"Last year, I led a project for developing a system using drones to deploy suction-cup attached tags to whales. I was able to develop a system and methodology and we successfully field tested our first prototypes in February 2022 on an expedition in Mexico to work with blue and fin whales. Our team and collaborators wrote a publication based on the results of our first field test and development process, and it was recently published in the academic journal Royal Society Open Science."
"Currently, I am the only person in the world right now (that I’m aware of) to have successfully used drones to deploy these tags on several different species, and in the past 15 months I’ve successfully deployed 65 tags on blue, fin, humpback, sei and gray whales. We’ve collaborated with many different research groups on the analysis of the tag data, all of whom are very excited about the potential this new method provides for collecting more and better data safer, more efficiently and less invasively."
What about your experience at Sage Hill prepared you for what you are doing now?
"During freshman year, I was part of one of the first Sage Hill Robotics Club cohorts that competed in the FIRST Tech challenge. That was my first real exposure to robotics and when I knew that was something I really enjoyed and wanted to continue pursuing."
If you could share one piece of advice to current Sage Hill students, what would it be?
"During freshman year, I was part of one of the first Sage Hill Robotics Club cohorts that competed in the FIRST Tech challenge. That was my first real exposure to robotics and when I knew that was something I really enjoyed and wanted to continue pursuing."
If you could share one piece of advice to current Sage Hill students, what would it be?
"Sage Hill has always been amazing about providing resources and opportunities to meet any interests. My advice would be to take advantage of those resources and try to become an expert in something you’re interested in and passionate about. Learn all the ins and outs of your hobby, dive as deep as you can, and you’ll have unique and valuable skill sets you can leverage to turn your hobby into your profession."
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