Meet the Researcher - Greg Marshall and Crittercam

Watch an archived replay:

11:30am ET webcast
1:30pm ET webcast
4:30pm ET webcast
6:30pm ET webcast

A Challenge for You!

Crittercam is an amazing technology, and we wanted to know what you would do if you were a Crittercam scientist.

Before this event, we asked students to think about what type of animal they'd attach a Crittercam to, how they would do it, and what they'd hope to learn.

We featured the best ideas from students around the world at the end of the Greg Marshall event!

About Greg Marshall and Crittercam

Greg MarshallAbout 25 years ago, Greg Marshall was diving off the coast of Belize when he saw a suckerfish hitching a ride on the side of a shark. He wondered what it would be like to see the world from the fish's point of view. This experience motivated Greg to invent Crittercam, a small, lightweight research tool that attaches to an animal and records video, sound, and other data from the animal's perspective. Crittercam allows researchers to study the behavior of animals that are difficult or impossible to observe in the wild. Over the years, Greg has worked with scientists around the world to deploy Crittercam on sharks, penguins, lions, and dozens of other animals.

In addition to being the inventor of Crittercam, Greg is also a scientist and filmmaker. He has a master's degree in marine science and has produced films about sharks, giant squid, Crittercam, and more. When he is not out in the field or behind the lens of a video camera, Greg enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons.

Read an interview with Greg Marshall  |  Watch a video about Greg and Crittercam

Activities for Kids

  • Crittercam Word Search (PDF document)
    Search for 20 of the more than 50 species that have worn a Crittercam. Can you find them all?
  • Crittercam Fun and Games
    Play Crittercam games, browse Crittercam FAQs, and watch more than two dozen Crittercam videos recorded by penguins, whale sharks, and other creatures!

Activities for Educators

  • Ice Seal Activity (PDF document)
    In this Immersion Learning activity, kids learn how NOAA scientist Dr. Brendan Kelly studies ringed seals in the Arctic using a variety tools such as National Geographic's Crittercam. Then they play a game to explore the interactions between ringed seals and polar bears. Science topics include habitat, predator-prey relationships, and global warming.
  • National Geographic Crittercam Activites (PDF document)
    This collection of National Geographic lesson plans engage kids in a variety of activities related to Crittercam. Science topics include taxonomy, data analysis, adaptations, hydrodynamics, and food webs.

About the Live Event

On Tuesday, March 8, JASON will broadcast four live shows, lasting approximately 45 minutes each. During the shows you'll learn about Greg and Crittercam, and have the chance to submit text questions and answer interactive polls. In addition, you can submit video questions before the event. Schools submitting video questions increase the odds of their questions being used during the event.

Video Question Submission Guidelines

  • Question submission is open until 9pm ET on March 1
  • Make sure your question relates to Greg and his work
  • Ensure that your video is well-lit and the audio is free of background noise
  • Please record only one question per video clip. You can submit as many as you like!
  • Students should state their first name only, the state or country they are from, and their question
  • Unfortunately we cannot use all the video questions we receive. The more creative and interesting you are, the better your chances of being selected!

Each student submitting a video question must also fax in a permission form with a parent or guardian's signature. Download student permission form.

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