08/31/2026
Please join us in welcoming Court Pegus to Kuna’s Environmental team!
Court is a marine scientist, drone enthusiast, sailor, diver, gadget builder, photographer, and someone who clearly prefers exploring the natural world firsthand.
His fascination with marine science began at age five, when he generously added two tablespoons of salt to his freshwater fishbowl. The fish did not appreciate the experiment, but Court became fascinated by what had happened. That childhood lesson in salinity eventually came full circle when his master’s research focused on how baby shrimp use salinity cues to navigate back into wetlands and estuaries.
At Kuna, Court is especially interested in expanding his work with drones, GIS, remote sensing, and 3-D photogrammetric mapping to support ecological monitoring in Alaska’s coastal communities. He also hopes to help develop hands-on STEM programs that give students and communities new ways to monitor and understand environmental changes affecting marine mammals and other important subsistence resources.
When he isn’t working, Court enjoys sailing, diving, macro photography, building gadgets that let him explore on, in, above, and beneath the ocean, and producing and editing ethnographic films.
And one thing his coworkers might never guess from his résumé?
He says he has “a sense of humor, lust for life, and usually can find the silver lining in most situations.”
Judging from these photos, we believe him.
Welcome to Kuna, Court!
