WHAT IS CITIZEN SCIENCE

 
Understanding the issues of climate change facing pristine regions like the Arctic and Antarctica requires scientific research, but performing scientific research can be extremely expensive and time-consuming. This is where you and citizen science programs can help.

* The tourism industry draws thousands of tourists to Antarctica, providing a significant opportunity for academics to collect data.

• * Guests on certain Antarctic expeditions can engage and contribute in scientific research programs.
   
• * Oceanography, Glaciology, Ornithology, Marine Biology, and Meteorology are the five key subjects studied.
   
• * The information gathered contributes directly to a deeper understanding of climate change effects on Antarctica.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

 
Sea ice observations 

This largely Arctic-based study assists scientists in understanding and tracking the trend of summer sea ice melt. While sailing through sea ice, you will observe its age, type, and terrain.

Seabird surveys

This research entails completing bird surveys at sea and on land to assist scientists in understanding meso-scale seabird geographical distribution and habitat utilization in the Southern Ocean.

Work together in small groups with an ornithologist and being out on deck with your binoculars is a popular activity among Antarctic travellers.
 

 
Penguin watch

This is the only study in which you can participate from anywhere in the world! Time-lapse cameras have been installed around penguin colonies in Antarctica by scientists.

These cameras capture several photographs each day, monitoring the number of penguins and providing critical information about dwindling penguin populations. Counting penguins in photographs on the Penguin Watch website can assist scientists in processing massive amounts of data.

Happywhale

This study is improving our scientific understanding of whale behaviour and distribution by tracking individual whales across the world's waters.

You are invited to snap images of whale sightings and send them to happywhale.com, noting when and where the photos were taken. You can even 'follow' the whales you saw on your vacation when you arrive home because they move all year.


 

 
Cloud observations (with NASA)

Clouds influence how much sunlight the planet absorbs and how much heat escapes back into space.

For this project, you will monitor and record cloud cover in relation to NASA satellite fly-overs, assisting scientists in understanding how cloud cover affects surface and air temperature, as well as how clouds will adapt to climate change.
 

FjordPhyto phytoplankton sampling

Melted glacial water can influence and change the population of phytoplankton in fjords – this study is helping researchers understand what impact this might have on the polar coastal ecosystem.

You will collect phytoplankton as you visit various fjords along the Antarctic Peninsula throughout the austral summer.
 

 
Study of marine phytoplankton

This research helps scientists understand how climate change affects the location, composition, and abundance of phytoplankton in the oceans.

You will utilise a Secchi Disk to determine the Secchi Depth, which is the depth at which the Secchi Disk vanishes from view when placed vertically into seawater from a stationary boat. The project provides participants with a unique look at the marine food chain.


 

The Polar Citizen Science Partnership

In the polar regions, the Polar Citizen Scientific Collective supports ship-based citizen science initiatives. Ted Cheeseman, the creator of happywhale.com, and friends of Swoop Bob Gilmore, who assists in coordinating programs on expedition ships, were among the five expedition guides who created it in 2015. They spotted an opportunity to involve guests in scientific research and collaborated on it.

According to the collective, their education programs seek to develop ambassadors, "passionate, enthusiastic, and action-oriented travellers who will return to campaign for the preservation of the polar regions."
 

How citizen science helps tackle climate crisis?

The Antarctic is an essential component of the Earth's climate system and an accurate indicator of climate change. Studying how the polar areas are reacting to climate change is critical for monitoring and forecasting future changes.

The global eBird project, for instance, administered by the Cornell University Ornithology Lab, gathered over 3 million data sets from citizen scientists in 2015. Many scientific studies tracking trends rely on "big data," which citizen science can provide. These scientific research can inform conservation efforts and regulations by providing reliable information to policymakers and legislators.