Western Kentucky University biology faculty member Steve Huskey could get used to spending part of his summer in front of the cameras for National Geographic TV.

Last summer, a producer and film crew visited WKU for stories on two of Dr. Huskey’s other projects — goliath grouper research and his construction of fully articulated skeletons. Those segments will be included in episodes 2 and 3 of Nat Geo Amazing!, which begins July 9 on the National Geographic Channel.

Later this month, Dr. Huskey, an associate professor in WKU’s Department of Biology, will be traveling to the southeast coast of Florida for another National Geographic project that will utilize his expertise in high-speed video analysis of the feeding habits of fish.

“NatGeo likes what they’ve seen from what I’ve produced so far,” Dr. Huskey said. “Hopefully we get what I expect during this monthlong project as well.”

The new show, called Speed Kills, will focus on some of the planet’s fastest fish species such as barracuda, king mackerel, mahi-mahi, and wahoo as they feed at speeds up to 60 miles per hour.

“I think what’s driving National Geographic TV’s interest in my work is multifold; it appeals to the general public’s interest in time lapse cinematography, state-of-the-art technology, giant fish species, exploration of the oceans, SCUBA diving, exotic tropical locations, and animals catching and killing each other,” Dr. Huskey said. “I think it has everything that makes for good TV. At the same time, I am getting an opportunity to conduct novel research producing outstanding results. This kind of work has never been done before.”

 During the June 25 to July 25 project, Dr. Huskey’s group will be stationed at the Delray Beach Marina and will make daily excursions 1 to 5 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Most of their work will be done 25 feet below the surface but they may venture 50 to 150 feet deep.

In addition to the latest technology in high-speed and high-definition video, Dr. Huskey and his research collaborator, Dr. Nicolai Konow of Brown University, have been trained and certified in rebreathers, an underwater breathing apparatus that recycles air breathed. The rebreather system emits no bubbles, making it easier to study fish up close, and allows divers to stay under water for up to five hours.

“By using the rebreather and high-speed video, I’m going to see stuff that’s never been observed in the wild,” Dr. Huskey said.

A NatGeo project in the Amazon

            Dr. Huskey expects to venture to another exotic location with National Geographic this fall – the Amazon River in Brazil.

            He is teaming with researchers from Brazil and from George Washington University who are studying piranhas and their relatives in South America. The group expects to visit Brazil sometime between August and November to produce a TV show for National Geographic Explorer entitled Megapiranha based on the discovery of a fossil jaw bone suggestive of a 1-meter piranha ancestor.

            Dr. Huskey will be looking at the piranhas’ jaws, feeding mechanism, and what they eat. He has been working with Mike Young, staff engineer in the Ogden College of Science and Engineering, to develop a bite force gauge in order to test the strength of their bites.

            “This project will shed more light on the evolution of piranhas and other species of strong biters, while helping us understand the traits necessary to rip and tear flesh and/or crush Brazil nuts.” Dr. Huskey said.