On the 28th, junior high school students began digging out the skeleton of a gray whale that had been washed up on the beach in Minamiboso City, Chiba Prefecture and buried in the sandy beach seven years ago, and converted it into 3D data.
It is said that only about 120 of the gray whales that inhabit the North Pacific migrate along the coast of Japan, China, and the Sea of Okhotsk.
Seven years ago, a 9-meter-long female gray whale washed ashore on the coast of Minamiboso City, Chiba Prefecture, and was buried in the sandy beach. A total of 15 high school students participated.
The work is part of a human resource development project that utilizes 3D technology to conduct ocean research. The surface of the bone was meticulously measured.
A first-year junior high school boy from Kanagawa said, "I'm glad I was able to touch the bones and realize just how big the whales are."
Gen Nakamura, an assistant professor at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology who specializes in cetacean science and supervised this work, said, "By converting skeletons into 3D data, it will be possible to easily compare specimens from the United States and Japan, for example, and advance research can be expected. I think it was a valuable opportunity for the students to come into contact with research sites."
The work will continue on the 29th, and the 3D data of the skeleton of the gray whale is scheduled to be completed next month.