Cool Scientists
Cody Strathe
Name: Cody Strathe
Born: 1977
Organization: Environmental Archaeology Laboratory and the Resilience and Adaptation Program at University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Cool Science: Zooarchaeology of Arctic and Subarctic
Who Am I:
Cody is a doctoral student of Anthropology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He is currently studying on a NSF IGERT fellowship as part of the Resilience and Adaptation program. This graduate program was designed to train scholars, policy-makers, community leaders, and managers to address issues of sustainability in an integrated fashion. This program prepares students to address a major challenge facing humanity: To sustain the desirable features of Earth's social-ecological systems at a time of rapid changes in all of the major forces that shape their structure and functioning. He is also an archaeologist for the National Park Service working on field surveys and excavations of prehistoric cultural sites in Kenai Fjords National Park, Katmai National Park, Gates of the Arctic National Park, Noatak National Preserve, and Cape Krusenstern National Monument.
My Cool Research:
Cody is a zooarchaeologist, meaning that he studies animal bones left behind in archaeological sites by ancient hunters. Animal bones from archaeological sites can tell him a great deal of information about prehistoric hunter's diets and about the ecosystem these people lived within. Cody's research focuses on the chemical analysis of prehistoric marine mammal bones to reconstruct ecosystem dynamics at different points in the past. These reconstructed ecosystems indicate that climate change has been occurring over a very long period of time. These reconstructions can then be looked at in conjunction with other archaeological evidence to understand how humans have adapted to changes in climate during pre-industrial times. Cody's research is important because scientists must first understand past social-ecological relationships if we hope be resilient and adapt to future climate change in a sustainable manner.
My Cool Publications (Selected)
Below are some of what Cody's cool science has generated from illustratins, to scientific papers and exhibits. For more on Cody's professional experience - Check out his website >>
2007. Cody J. Strathe. Seal Bones from the Beach Ridges: Isotopic Values of Cape Krusenstern Archaeofauna. Presented at Alaska Anthropological Association Meetings. UAF Museum of the North. Fairbanks, Alaska. March 2007. Read it >>
Illustration of marine food web and octopus in Prince William Sound Coloring Book. 3rd editon. Prince William Sound Regional Citizens Advisory Council. Anchorage, Alaska. See it >>
Cody J. Strathe and Courtney Brown. The Scoop on Poop: Using bones from scat samples to teach students about pinniped foraging. Presented at the Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators Conference. Newport, OR. August 2004.
Cody J. Strathe. Indigenous Musical Instrument: Use of Natural Materials to Make Music. Public Presentation at Schmeekle Reserve Nature Center. Stevens Point, Wisconsin. March 2001.
The Pribilof Island Beach Debris Clean Up. A video documentary for Alaska SeaLife Center, Pribilof Island Tribal Resource Management, USFWS, and the Nature Conservancy.
Marine Mammal Skeletons. Designed and built exhibit / demonstration showing the process of articulation of a Beluga and Harbor Porpoise Skeleton. On display summer of 2005 at the Alaska SeaLife Center, Seward, Alaska.
Dive In!. Designed and built exhibit explaining the science of coldwater SCUBA diving. On display at the Alaska SeaLife Center, Seward, Alaska.
Other Cool Facts:
Cody also spends most of his free time building kayaks and dog sleds following traditional native designs and techniques. Learn More >>
