Educational Materials
3D Models
Use these scans to 3D print marine mammal biofacts for your classroom. Use the attached factsheets to learn more about stranded marine mammals and the Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Network. These files (.stl) can be used for visualizations or even printed on a 3D printer!
Try clicking and dragging to investigate the model or zoom in.
(Note that the download version will have a finer resolution and more detail.)
Bottlenose Dolphin
About the 3D scans:
This is a 3D scanned skull and mandible of a bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, that stranded in Orange Beach, Alabama in February 2019.
The team from Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Network (ALMMSN) responded and recovered the deceased dolphin.
To help determine the cause of death, a full body computed tomography (CT) scan was completed at the Auburn College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) in Auburn, Alabama. The 3D printing files (.stl) were created by Dr. Ray Wilhite at the Auburn CVM.
Dolphin Skull .stl File (16MB) Dolphin Jaw .stl File (5MB)
West Indian manatee
About the 3D scans:
This is a 3D scanned skull and mandible of a West Indian manatee, Trichechus manatus, that stranded at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve near Moss Point, Mississippi in December 2021.
The team from Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s Manatee Sighting Network ((DISL/MSN) and Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Network (ALMMSN) completed a field necropsy of the deceased manatee.
A computed tomography (CT) scan was completed on the manatee head at the Auburn Veterinary Specialists clinic in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The 3D printing files (.stl) were created by Steve VanDerKooy.
Manatee Skull .stl File (109MB)
Manatee and Dolphin Classroom Necropsy Activity
Students will learn about anatomy of bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, and West Indian manatees, Trichechus manatus. This activity includes two “empty” dolphin and manatee body outlines and individual organs with the goal to put the organ in the correct location within the animals’ bodies. This game also is a great way to talk about the physiology of each of the organs.
Classroom Necropsy Instructions
Classroom Necropsy Body Images
Classroom Necropsy - For Alabama Teachers: ALCOS Standards
Dolphin Photo-identification Activity
Students will learn about dolphin photo-identification (photo-ID), a method used by scientists to individually identify dolphins using photographs of their dorsal fins. This activity includes photographs of dorsal fins for 10 individual dolphins with the goal to match individual dolphin fins and understand the matching process.. This activity can be modified for three learning levels: Beginner, Medium, and Advanced.
Dolphin Photo-identification Instructions
Dolphin Photo-identification - For Alabama Teachers: ALCOS Standards