APECS Online Conference 2017

Session Chair: Lorna Thurston (Northern Arizona University, United States)

Technical Support: José Queirós (University of Coimbra, Portugal)

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

• 13:30 - 14:00 GMT: Guest Presentation

  Tom Hart, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

BIOLOGICAL - MARINE / FRESHWATER / TERRESTRIAL

• 14:00 - 14:15 GMT: Marine Psychrophilic and Psychrotolerant Actinobacteria of the Waters of the Southern Ocean, their Diversity and Cryoprotective Potential

  P. Sivasankar¹, K. Sivakumar¹, P.V. Bhaskar² and N. Anilkumar²

  ¹Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Annamalai University, India
  ²National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, India

  Abstract: Studies on actinobacteria in the Southern Ocean (Antarctic Ocean) are limited as compared to those of the other aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Bearing this in mind, present study was carried out to isolate and identify the psychrophilic and psychrotolerant actinobacteria of the Polar Frontal waters of the Southern Ocean of the Antarctica for the discovery of novel cold active enzymes and cryoprotective agents. A total of nine actinobacterial strains were isolated from two water samples collected from Polar Front region of the Southern Ocean, Antarctica. All the isolated actinobacterial strains were studied for cardinal temperature determination. Out of nine actinobacterial strains, 4 were classified as psychrophiles (PSY13, PSY15, PSY21 and PSY25) and 5 were classified as psychrotolerants (PST1 to 5). The strains were identified by conventional and molecular techniques and found that they were belongs to the genus Nocardiopsis and Streptomyces. An attempt was also made to map the actinobacterial diversity of the Polar Frontal waters of the Southern using GIS approach by applying the GPS coordinates. The strains were screened for cold active cellulase enzyme production and the strain Nocardiopsis dassonvillei PSY13 showed higher cellulolytic activity. The microbes of the cold and frozen environment might have survived with the protection of cryoprotective agents. In this context, the present study aimed to study the exopolysaccharide (EPS) for production and cryoprotective effect on psychrophilic actinobacterial strains. Among nine strains, the strain PSY15 showed higher amount of EPS production and was purified, characterized and used to determine the cryoprotective effect by freeze-thaw method. The strain was found to survive in all the successive freeze-thaw cycles and viability test. On the whole, results of the present study have indicated that the EPSs produced by the Nocardiopsis prasina PSY15 are unique with complex polysaccharides, proven for their cryoprotective effect.

• 14:15 - 14:30 GMT: Phytoplankton Studies in West Spitsbergen Fjords Across the Time

  Zofia Smoła, Institut of Oceanology Polish Academy of Science, Center for Polar Studies "Polar KNOW", Poland

  Abstract: Phytoplankton organisms as a primary producers are an important components in Arctic marine food web. Energy rate transferred to higher trophic levels depends on quantity and quality of phytoplankton assemblaged and timing of blooms events. Three fjords on the west spitsbergen coast, Hornsund, VanMmijenfjord and Kongsfjord, each with different environmental factors which shapes specyfic ecosystems.

  How differ phytoplankton assemblages in this there arctic marine ecosystems? How primary production and producers were there studied so far? What opportunities give new methods of molecular taxonomy analysis?

  Results of investigation indicate strong variation of phytoplankton assemblages between and within fjords. Molecular methods are able to make visible the smallest size fraction of phytoplankton which is almost undetecteble and unidentyfied in light microscopy analysis. Here I would like present own results and summarize state of art in the field of phytoplankton studies in Spitsbergen fjords

• 14:30 - 14:45 GMT: Arctic Insights from the Unglamorous Science of Desktop Ecology

  Sarah Arnold, University of Manitoba, Canada

  Abstract: We often consider the polar regions to be “data poor”, particularly in the biological sciences. This presentation will discuss whether this is truly the case, or whether we simply need to reconsider our definition of data and look more closely at existing information sources. Traditional knowledge, archival documents, grey literature, environmental impact assessments, economic surveys – all contain insights that can help to answer some of the myriad questions we have about polar ecosystems.

  Knowing that such information is available is only the first step, however. How do we find and access these sources? Without always knowing the extent, depth, or limitations of this information, how can we best make use of it? How can we decipher patterns and conclusions from such varied data types? I will discuss some strategies for undertaking desktop ecological research, in the context of fisheries research in Nunavut, Canada.

  Nevertheless, under pressure from funding agencies with their own agendas, communities demanding increasing involvement in research, and our own desire to be in the field (why else did we become biologists?), the lure of on-the-ground research can be overwhelming. I will present a few of the ways to justify and execute desktop research that can provide useful insights for all stakeholders.

  As the saying goes, “time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted”. Desktop ecology can help us to better understand the historical and current status of systems, as well as identify gaps and patterns. From this base we can then conduct more effective fieldwork to investigate specific contexts and changes; as well as finally get our own chance at snapping the perfect glamour photo on an icebreaker, or next to polar bears!

ATMOSPHERICS / CLIMATOLOGY

• 14:45 - 15:00 GMT: Outside of Now: Informing Arctic Climate Predictions with Fossil Floras

  Tamara Fletcher, University of Montana, United States

  Abstract: The largest changes in climate are occurring at the poles, yet the mechanisms causing polar temperature amplification are not well understood, and models underestimate the increase in temperature relative to observation. What can be discerned from observing the modern climate of the Arctic is limited in part because historical records are sparse and in part because the predicted scale of change is unprecedented in recent geological history. Thinking outside the Quaternary, critical climate information can be gathered from past warm periods such as the Pliocene (2.6–5.3 Ma) when atmospheric CO2 levels were comparable to today.

  For the Pliocene, accurate estimates of proxy data-model mismatch are hindered by the scarcity of well-constrained observations from well-dated sites in the High Arctic. Using a recently developed community-based approach compared with an established method, and applied to extraordinary, permafrost-driven preservation of floras, we explored the climate and community assemblages at five Pliocene sites in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

  Across the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, mean annual temperatures were ~20°C hotter (ranging from 0.8 to 6.2°C by species across sites) and mean annual precipitation ~500 mm wetter (ranging from 530 to 860 mm by species across sites) during the Early to ‘mid’-Pliocene (~3.6 Ma) compared with modern climate. The results suggest that climatic differences at this scale do not simply correlate (linearly or ranked) to differences in community assemblage between sites. The threshold temperature for tree line is one important component that corresponds to a stable dissimilarity between one studied site and the cluster of the other four. Within that cluster other factors drive dissimilarity of communities where the taxa could share the same climate space. Our results from the climatically ‘stable’ Pliocene support predictions that Arctic Amplification will intensify as positive feedback mechanisms in the Arctic are invoked by our changing global climate.

• 15:00 - 15:15 GMT: Communicating the Year of Polar Prediction

  Kirstin Werner^1,2, Winfried Hoke^1,2, Sina Loeschke¹, Clare Nullis³, Jonathan Day⁴, Helge Goessling^1,2, Thomas Jung^1,2, Paolo Ruti⁵

  ¹Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
  ²WMO WWRP International Coordination Office for Polar Prediction
  ³World Meteorological Organization, Media Office, Geneva, Switzerland
  ⁴Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
  ⁵World Meteorological Organization, World Weather Research Programme, Geneva, Switzerland

  Abstract: The Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP) scheduled from mid-2017 to mid-2019 is a major international activity to significantly advance environmental prediction capabilities for the polar regions and beyond on time scales from hours to seasons, supporting improved weather and climate services. It has been established by the World Meteorological Organization’s World Weather Research Programme in response to the rapid polar climate change and the expected increase in economic, touristic, transportation, and scientific activities. The Year of Polar Prediction is key to the ten-year Polar Prediction Project and will entail intensive observing, modelling, prediction, verification, user-engagement and education activities.

  Communication activities for YOPP are coordinated by the International Coordination Office (ICO) for Polar Prediction hosted by the German Alfred Wegener Institute. Supported by WMO and AWI media experts, information on YOPP is distributed via a number of communication instruments by the ICO as well as by members of the PPP Steering Group and other closely collaborating scientists. YOPP communication targets various internal and external groups such as Arctic and Antarctic scientists working in different disciplines, operational centres, and various stakeholders using polar forecasting products. Therefore, the information flows need to be adjusted to the respective group addressed. High public awareness of ongoing changes in polar regions and the international scope of YOPP allow for active involvement of numerous multipliers to reach out to their communities. Education is given special emphasis in order to train the next generation of polar prediction scientists. During the first Polar Prediction School held in April 2016 in Abisko, Sweden, students and young postdocs were trained in polar environmental prediction science to enhance understanding of what it needs to ensure safe living and working conditions in polar regions – today and tomorrow. A second Polar Prediction School is planned for 2018.

CULTURAL / HISTORICAL

• 15:15 - 15:30 GMT: Melting in the Spotlight: Securing Antarctica's Place in Popular Media

  MJ Halberstadt, Emerson College

  Abstract: As Antarctic research yields increasingly urgent warnings about our planet and major political powers embrace climate-change denial, we are called upon to seek new methods of communicating those concerns and rise above the fray. Meanwhile, popular media demonstrate themselves as effective and palatable methods of shaping popular consciousness, so much so that we’ve repurposed the word “binge”. It is necessary to turn to the next generation of media makers to ensure that lessons learned in Antarctic research have voice.

  This presentation suggests innovative academic methods that would enable and inspire researchers and students within Antarctic studies to forge a connection with students and graduates within the arts. By referring to my familiarity with Emerson College’s unique interdisciplinary offerings, I will propose methods of collaboration with the goal of developing persuasive and informative media content meant to elevate the presence and impact of Antarctic stories and research through tools including fiction, television, interactive games, drama, etc. I will describe action items that I integrate into my own teaching and creative pursuits, and that may be of use to instructors, faculty members, and granters of research fellowships pertaining to arts and/or science.

  Young artists and writers are often waiting impatiently for their next gig; Antarctic researchers have an opportunity to employ their talents as a platform for amplifying their own perspectives. Working across disciplines offers an opportunity to raise the alarm for climate change in a way that will make the public listen and act.

• 15:30 - 15:45 GMT: The Importance to the Health and Safety of Brazilian Expeditionaries with the Air Cargo Launch Operations to the Brazilian Antarctic Station in the Winter

  Paola Barros Delben, Gustavo Klauberg Pereira e Roberto Moraes Cruz, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil

  Abstract: 15 military make up the group that annually manager the Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station (EACF). In winter, the station stay isolated and is supplied by aerial launches by the Brazilian Area Force, operation planned with the Brazilian Navy, coordinator of the Brazilian Antarctic Program. Objective: To examine the cargo launch operations to the EACF in the winter and its importance to the health and safety of Brazilian expeditionaries. Method: participatory observation of the cargo launching with aeronautical crew and the simulation to receive the cargo on the ground with the military group of the the EACF. Results: Up to 11 loads are parachuted to the EACF in the winter, in synchronized actions in the air and in the ground. The Hercules C-130 aircraft performs a closed circuit on King George Island, requiring continuous training of pilots and loodmasters, who launch cargoes from the rear of the plane while the door remains open during the route. The communication between EACF and the airplane Hercules updates information on weather conditions that allow overflight, the exit of the EACF military to mark the target at a pre-established location and the load pickup. These contain food and items sent by family members, as well as spare parts, emergency or continuous use, such as generator sets and medications. The operation is important for the health of the expeditionaries who remain 7 months isolated, minimizing risks to negative psysical and mental consequences, reducing the perception of risks, time, compliance with safety norms and performance of professional activities, recurrent In these contexts when it is not supported. Conclusion: This study contributes to the understanding of the professional complexity of missions in Antarctica, especially related to human behavior in ICE environments and dissemination of the winter operation, which aims to reduce accidents risk and psychological commitment of expeditionaries.

Session Chair: Gerlis Fugmann (APECS / Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research)

Technical Support: Adrian Dahood (George Mason University, United States)

GEOLOGICAL / ENVIRONMENTAL / TERRESTRIAL CRYOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENTS

• 16:45 - 17:00 GMT: Why is it Hard to Communicate the Future of the Antarctic Ice Sheet?

  Hernan E. Sala, Instituto Antartico Argentino, Argentina

  Abstract: Science communication and outreach is usually not an easy task for scientists, and the challenge is even greater if we are trying to depict structures and phenomena that are present or take place only in polar regions. The structure and the behavior of the Antarctic ice sheet offers several difficulties to be communicated to broad audiences. Its huge extension and volume along with the multiplicity of the involved processes (including some complex issues) defy the comprehension of it to a non specialized audience. The Antarctic ice sheet is made up by different components including ice streams, outlet glaciers, ice shelves, etc. that are strange to the general public, and it also includes several dynamic processes that act in different spatial and temporal scales (e.g. daily, seasonal, multiannual, etc.). By another hand, as a consequence of the lack of data about its components and their mutual interactions, some uncertainty persists with regard its current and future stability. In this presentation the basics of the interactions and feedbacks between the fundamental different components of the Antarctic ice sheet will be identified, and the main difficulties in communicating the involved processes to the public will be analyzed. Several recommendations and approaches in order to spread to the broadest audience the future of the Antarctic ice sheet will be presented and discussed.

• 17:00 - 17:15 GMT: Communicating Polar Research in South Africa

  Christel Hansen, Knox, JT and Wilmot, NF, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa

  Abstract: Communicating your research is integral to any research project. Thus, the use of multiple and innovative approaches of bringing your research to the public has become a requirement for any researcher and scientist. South Africa, located at the tip of Africa, is not known for its ice caps and glaciers but rather for its plethora of wild life (the Big Five), warm summer climes and unique flora, such as the Cape Floral Kingdom. The country receives very little snowfall annually and most citizens have never seen snow. While sub-zero temperatures are not uncommon, 15C will make most South Africans reach for a jacket. Yet South Africa, one of the original signatories to the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS), has had a continuous presence in Antarctic research since the ATS was signed. The country has a permanent base in the Antarctic (SANAE IV) and sub-Antarctic (Marion Island), yet few people outside of the academic field in South Africa know of SANAP – the South African National Antarctic Program. Communicating polar research to the public has thus become a focus for researchers and funders alike. A variety of methods are employed, ranging from open days aimed at scholars and other members of the public, such as the S.A. Agulhas II Open Day where anyone can visit the South African state-of-the-art research vessel, to using online mapping platforms, such as ArcGIS Online, to disseminate geographical research data. Furthermore, websites utilizing blog posts and personal experiences of research trips and research outputs, as well as short videos of your research are crucial to ‘personalise’ research whose topics are alien to most South African citizens.

• 17:15 - 17:30 GMT: A 10,000-year Record of Atmospheric Mercury Deposition in Northern Yukon, Canada

  Sasiri Bandara, University of Alberta, Canada

  Abstract: Lake sediments, peatlands, tree rings, and ice cores are often used to estimate the influence of recent human activities such as coal burning and climate change on the biogeochemical cycling of Hg. Over thousands of years, sub-arctic and arctic yedoma and peat permafrost sequestered atmospherically deposited Hg prior to human impacts. However, with continued climate warming, it is hypothesized that these northern cryosols will shift from stable carbon/Hg sinks to carbon/Hg sources through permafrost degradation. Accelerated loss of Hg from yedoma silts and peat bogs to adjacent aquatic environments may pose a threat to both wildlife and humans. Here, we reconstruct natural fluxes of atmospheric Hg deposition during the Holocene (last 10,000 years) through the drilling, recovery, and analysis of permafrost from peatlands along the Dempster Highway and the Old Crow and Bluefish basins in northern Yukon, Canada. Based on our analyses, we quantify the natural variability in atmospherically deposited Hg fluxes in light of millennial-scale climate as derived by pore-ice stable isotope (δ18O and δ2H) trends over the last 10,000 years, from which we will be able to compare current rates of deposition due to human activities and quantify potential fluxes of Hg to downstream freshwater systems.

• 17:30 - 17:45 GMT: Data Repositories and DOIs: Your New BFFs?

  Dana Church, Gabrielle Alix, Frank Lauritzen, David Friddell, Yunwei Dong, Julie E. Friddell, Ellsworth F. LeDrew, The Canadian Cryospheric Information Network and Polar Data Catalogue, University of Waterloo, Canada

  Abstract: Are your raw research data sitting on the hard drive of your laptop? Stuffed in a file folder in a dusty cabinet in an office? Resting on a flash drive the size of your pinky finger? All your hard work and scientific contributions could be much more safely stored if submitted to a data repository such as the Polar Data Catalogue (PDC: https://polardata.ca). The PDC is Canada’s primary publicly accessible repository for metadata and data from Arctic and Antarctic research in the natural, health, and social sciences. The PDC was also recently named Canada’s National Antarctic Data Centre and is a member of the International Council for Science World Data System. With multiple layers of security and back-up systems, data repositories such as the PDC can archive your data in perpetuity. In addition, your data are automatically made searchable by students, researchers, government, and the public, including northern and Indigenous peoples. The PDC also has the capability to assign a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to your data set: a unique alphanumeric string assigned to particular content, providing a persistent link to its location on the Internet. This means that data sets are citable and the authors of the cited data set receive credit for their contributions. The PDC has recently assigned DOIs to more than 300 datasets comprising nearly 2.7 million individual data files. Thus, archiving your data in a repository such as the PDC allows you to not only safely and securely store your data, but it also gives you the opportunity to communicate your data, make your data more visible, and potentially receive publication credit.

• 17:45 - 18:00 GMT: Modeling Suspended Sediment at Lake Peters, Brooks Range, Alaska using a Dual-Method Approach

  Lorna Louise Thurston, Erik Schiefer, Northern Arizona University, United States

  Abstract: The Arctic is experiencing environmental change greater than most other places on earth, yet the physical processes driving this change are little understood. Fluvial sediment transfer from glacier to lake is one important physical process, and the focus of our research in Lake Peters’ catchment, Brooks Range, Alaska. The problem is that fluvial sediment transfer is inherently difficult to model. The majority of a catchment’s annual sediment yield is often transported during a single flood event. Accurate sediment modeling, therefore, requires data throughout the entire melt-season capturing flood peaks, which presents the first challenge for modeling sediment transfer in the remote Arctic. Furthermore, once sediment models are developed they are usually based on less than one to three seasons of data, which is not a good reflection of inter-annual sediment variability and the processes driving this. Overcoming these challenges requires an “outside the box” approach. Firstly, continuously recording hydrological and climatological instruments were fixed in Lake Peters’ catchment for the 2015 and 2016 melt-seasons. Discharge in Carnivore Creek (the main tributary) peaked on the 8/3/2015 at 1542 m3s-1 over a 24 hour period, and on the 7/8/16 at 1572 m3s-1 over a 24 hour period. Manual sediment samples and continuous turbidity recordings reached maximums of 1434 mgL-1 and 2617 NTU, respectively. Preliminary statistical sediment models based on the continuous data have returned interesting results. Turbidity, diurnal cycles and ground temperature are all included in the best model of suspended sediment concentration in Carnivore Creek. In Chamberlin Creek, turbidity alone is the best predictor of suspended sediment concentration. Secondly, inter-annual to decade scale sediment deposition is being investigated by analyzing short-cores taken from Lake Peters. Short-core results will be compared with the statistical sediment models that are based on only two seasons of field-data. It is proposed that this dual-method approach can overcome the main challenges associated with modeling sediment transfer in Arctic Alaska.

POLICY / EDUCATION / COMMUNICATION

• 18:00 - 18:15 GMT: Climate Change High School Semester Course

  Sarah Bouckoms, Miss Porters School, United States

  Abstract: Now in its 4th year, I've developed a semester long Climate Change elective. It is open from 10th to 12th grade students. This course focuses on Earth systems, key environmental issues, political actions, social and cultural impacts as well as developing science literacy skills. Ideas are presented from both sides of the spectrum and students are able to arrive at the facts on their own. This method allows students to take ownership of their opinions and thus they can defend their own side. Debate is encouraged. There are great discussions but also hands on labs, field trips and group projects. Students read through the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report learning how to read a graph with multiple figures or axis. For students, seeing the long term studies enforces the difference between weather and climate and how far back we need to look to know what our future might look like. The variation in potential outcomes shows how the difficulties of modeling cause discrepancies in future scenarios. The difference between good and bad references is widely discussed. Beyond reading technical papers, students also follow scientists, expeditions and latest news through various social media platforms. Using multiple forms of media and developing their research skills helps them gain confidence in their abilities to interpret science. A longer term project is to have students craft a local project on campus that will last longer than their enrollment in the class. This is necessary to leave the students empowered as often when they become savvy to these dire issues there is an overwhelming sense of urgency and powerlessness. For the youth, having a real but hopeful take away message is imperative. This course has been highly successful, encouraging students to take further Environmental courses or pursuit higher studies in the field during college.

• 18:15 - 18:30 GMT: “Let me tell you a story”: Communicating Indigenous Knowledge Research in a Digital World

  Heidi McCann, Colleen Strawhacker, Chris McNeave, Betsy Sheffield, Peter Pulsifer, Univ. of Colorado Boulder

  Abstract: Up until a decade ago, communicating Indigenous Knowledge (IK) and community-based monitoring (CBM) data of the Arctic was challenging. Scientists accustomed to working with quantitative data became interested in IK and began incorporating it into their research; however, they had no means of sharing it with the world due to the lack of data management tools.  What was missing was an effective and appropriate way of recording, storing, managing, and ethically sharing data and information for quantitative and qualitative data.  A platform needed to be developed that would enable creative use now and over the long term.  It was important then as it is now that the data be not only available, but useful, to Arctic residents and researchers, other interested groups such as teachers, students, other scientists and policy makers.  During the International Polar Year of 2007-2008, several projects emerged addressing the issues of lack of data management tools and services for IK and CBM.  One project, The Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA), has taken a leadership role in initiating IK and CBM data management research and services. Its mission is to provide data management services and user support to facilitate the collection, preservation, exchange, and use of local observations and Indigenous Knowledge of the Arctic. Housed at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) located at the University of Colorado Boulder, ELOKA currently manages and curates IK products from communities in Alaska, Nunavut, and Russia that can be found at the ELOKA website. Although located outside of the Arctic, ELOKA still maintains close connections to Arctic communities and projects and provides prompt response to the needs of the communities.

  In this presentation, we will show polar researchers working with Indigenous communities exploring how their data can be managed in a way that provides a product for the community and other interested people that will tell a story of environmental change to worldwide audiences.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

• 18:30 - 19:00 GMT: Guest Presentation

  John Walsh, Chief Scientist and President's Professor of Global Change, International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, United States

  Abstract:

Session Chair: Hanne Nielsen (University of Tasmania, Australia)

Technical Support: Gabriela Roldan (University of Canterbury, New Zealand)

POLICY / EDUCATION / COMMUNICATION

• 19:45 - 20:00 GMT: Old Data, New Context: Making Arctic Archival Data Relevant

  Alexandra Taitt, Daniel Jimenez, University of Alaska Anchorage, United States

  Abstract: Archival research is a major component of ethnohistorical work, but can often be overlooked as a viable research method in other disciplines. Hidden in boxes, this archival data remains an elusive, yet valuable, resource waiting to be tapped into. However, by taking archival material outside the box and contextualizing it with other modes of polar research, we open up the possibility for alternative interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to solving Arctic challenges both locally and globally. This presentation reflects on a class project from the Ethnohistory of Alaska Natives course at the University of Alaska Anchorage, which examined the Charles V. Lucier Papers housed at the Archives and Special Collections at Consortium Library. It aims to highlight three examples of material from the Lucier collection that benefit from a deeper contextualization by piecing together complementary information in the archives, and bringing in external sources from both historic and contemporary sources. The three topics include the Iñupiaq drum making, the tupilak, and the construction and use of seal nets. Together, these topics gleaned from the Lucier collection demonstrate the wealth of knowledge and value of archival material that can be used to communicate locally relevant Arctic research today.

• 20:00 - 20:15 GMT: From A-B-C to A-R-T-I-C: Starting Polar Region Awareness in Early Age

  Abigail P. Cid-Andres, Institute of Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Japan and Leimond International School, Shiga, Japan

  Abstract: Most of the scientific researches about the Polar Regions have been presented in a professional community. A case study of communicating science in pre-school and elementary school students in Japan is presented. The form of communication is simple book reading, film showing and coloring. Another challenge is the communicating it in English for Native Japanese Speakers. Group of International School pre-school children and 1st to third grade Elementary Students after school club were exposed to simple polar science topics. This study shows that awareness of the Polar Regions is slowly inculcated to the minds of the young learners. However, it should be done in both targeting learning English and Science. The thought of the science topic is well understood when done in repetition. It also helped that the mascot of the school are Polar Animals.

CULTURAL / HISTORICAL

• 20:15 - 20:30 GMT: Building University Capacity to Visualize Solutions to Complex Problems in the Arctic

  Dayne Broderson, Pips Veazey, Karl Kowalski, Vanessa Raymond*, Anupma Prakash and Bobby Signor, *University of Alaska Fairbanks, United States

  Abstract: Rapidly changing environments are creating complex problems across the globe, which are particular magnified in the Arctic. These worldwide challenges can best be addressed through diverse and interdisciplinary research teams. It is incumbent on such teams to promote co-production of knowledge and data-driven decision-making by identifying effective methods to communicate their findings and to engage with the public.

  Decision Theater North (DTN) is a new semi-immersive visualization system that provides a space for teams to collaborate and develop solutions to complex problems, relying on diverse sets of skills and knowledge. It provides a venue to synthesize the talents of scientists, who gather information (data); modelers, who create models of complex systems; artists, who develop visualizations; communicators, who connect and bridge populations; and policymakers, who can use the visualizations to develop sustainable solutions to pressing problems.

  The mission of Decision Theater North is to provide a cutting-edge visual environment to facilitate dialogue and decision-making by stakeholders including government, industry, communities and academia. We achieve this mission by adopting a multi-faceted approach reflected in the theater’s design, technology, networking, user support, community relationship building, and partnerships. DTN is a joint project of Alaska’s National Science Foundation Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), who have brought the facility to full operational status and are expanding its development space to support larger team science efforts. Based in Fairbanks, Alaska, DTN is uniquely poised to address changes taking place in the Arctic and subarctic, and is connected with a larger network of decision theaters that include the Arizona State University Decision Theater Network and the McCain Institute in Washington, DC.

OCEANOGRAPHY / SEA ICE

• 20:30 - 20:45 GMT: Internal Tidal Waves Under the Landfast Sea Ice in the Southeast Hudson Bay

  Vladislav Petrusevich, Igor A. Dmitrenko, Sergey A. Kirillov, Zou Zou Kuzyk, Joel Heath, Alexander Komarov and Jens K. Ehn, Centre for Earth Observation Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba; Arctic Eider Society, St. John's, Newfoundland; Meteorological Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

  Abstract: An ice-tethered mooring consisting of 9 conductivity and temperature sensors and acoustic Doppler current profiler was deployed during January-March 2014 in a narrow channel between Broomfield and O’Leary islands located in the south east tip of Belcher islands group in Hudson Bay. The mooring recorded tidal driven oscillations of temperature and salinity through the whole water column. We attribute this variability to the vertical displacement of isopicnals caused by internal waves.

  The tidal harmonic analysis was performed for the lunar semidiurnal constituent M2 as main tidal component. Tidal ellipses showed dominance of the baroclinic tidal pattern through the water column. The generation of internal waves likely corresponds to a barotropic wave drag over bathymetry features which leads to barotropic tide energy transfer into internal baroclinic waves.

  Based on velocity, temperature and salinity data and tidal analysis we came to conclusion that our mooring recorded internal tidal waves produced from interaction of high tides typical for Hudson Bay with the particular bathymetry of the narrow channel between the islands.

• 20:45 - 21:00 GMT: Low Basal Melt Rates at the Grounding Zone of an Antarctic Ice Shelf

  Carolyn Branecky, University of California, Santa Cruz, United States

  Abstract: Thinning of ice shelves at the grounding zone, the transition between grounded and floating ice, can lead to loss of grounded ice, perhaps catastrophically. Melt rates at the base of ice shelves can be high at grounding zones, where the melting point of ice is lowered by the pressure at depth. For the first time, we collected oceanographic data within a few kilometers of the grounding zone of a major West Antarctic ice shelf, the Ross Ice Shelf. We also measured ice shelf melting at 11 locations at and around the borehole using a phase-sensitive radar. We find that melt rates are low near the grounding zone due to the presence of a highly stable double-diffusive staircase. Parameterizations of ice shelf melting in ocean models are less sensitive to the present-day freshening of Ross Sea waters than double-diffusive staircases are. This could lead ice-ocean models to underestimate the response of the Ross Ice Shelf to oceanographic changes.

CULTURAL / HISTORICAL

• 21:00 - 21:15 GMT: Gendering Processes of Inupiaq Youth: An Ethnohistorical Approach

  Susannah Deeds and Eddie Perez, University of Alaska Anchorage, United States

  Abstract: Inupiaq peoples have relied on oral storytelling, observational learning, and firsthand experiences to pass cultural information to younger generations. The integral role children play in the continuation of culture is tied to their formed concept of self. A child’s maturity into adulthood is recognized based off of social, biological, and gender dependent forms of self. Traditionally wherein a girl’s first menstruation marks her transformation into womanhood, a boy’s process into manhood is highly based on the cultural concepts of male achievement. Beginning from childhood, youth are molded into understanding their roles of self in the community and what it means to be a man or woman in their culture. This acquired knowledge is through observance, practice, teachings, stories, and trial and error. This paper focuses on providing a collection of the self-awareness and gendering processes of Inupiaq youth with a main focus on the transition from ‘boy’ to ‘man’. Additionally, I explore the idea that the recognition and reinforcement of male gender roles through the processes of ceremonies and rites is parallel to female pubescent transitions. I aim to deepen the understanding of Inupiaq gendering through recollections of childhood experiences found in the Charles V. Lucier Collection in the University of Alaska-Anchorage Consortium Library Archives.

• 21:15 - 21:30 GMT: Antarctica, Advertising, and the Changing Face of the Hero

  Hanne E F Nielsen, University of Tasmania, Australia

  Abstract: Antarctic history is often seen as synonymous with the Heroic Era of exploration (1899-1922). This was a time when expeditions – under the likes of Scott, Shackleton, and Mawson – set off for the South in search of a first, and motivated by romantic ideas of man versus nature. Yet today’s Hero is not the same as yesterday’s. This paper explores to what extent the Heroic myth of Antarctica is still culturally viable. Advertisements provide an ideal litmus test for such an investigation, as they recycle ideas that are already in common cultural circulation.

  The theme of Heroism in the Antarctic has appeared in many guises over the past century, and been used for a wide range of commercial ends. A century on, the Heroic Era itself may have been relegated to sepia tones in the popular cultural memory, but famed images of men fighting against the blizzard continue to evoke an immediate response. In the case of advertising material, evolving depictions of the Antarctic hero have ranged from straight endorsements, through to ironic distancing and de-identification.

  Despite such changes over the years, Heroism continues to be a theme with strong Antarctic connections. In more recent times, the ongoing relevance of the Hero myth can also be seen in the framing of the “Heroic Scientist.” Analysing advertisements sheds light on how the myth of the Heroic Antarctic explorer has been valued, been seen as viable, and helped to shape the imagined version of Antarctica for the population at large.

• 21:30 - 21:45 GMT: Updates from The Permafrost Young Researcher’s Network (PYRN)

  J. Heslop on behalf of the PYRN Executive Committee,Permafrost Young Researchers Network

  Abstract: The Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) is an international organization established in 2005 under the patronage of the International Permafrost Association (IPA). We seek to inform, promote, and facilitate research collaborations between future generations of permafrost researchers. The PYRN Executive Committee regularly distributes information on recent permafrost news, research, events, and funding opportunities by organizing workshops, updating public social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), and sending emails and newsletters to registered members. As of 2016, we have 1,472 registered members representing 32 countries. In this presentation, a PYRN Executive Committee member will showcase several recent and upcoming activities organized for PYRN members in order to involve more young scientists into its community. These include: 1) a summary of the PYRN activities and their impacts during the International Conference on Permafrost in 2016, 2) a presentation of the PYRN events planned for the upcoming 2nd Asian Conference on Permafrost, 3) an introduction to the use of social media for promoting research conducted by young permafrost researchers and to the newly-designed PYRN website, and 4) an overview of the recent PYRN-Russia workshop dedicated to the studies of Yamal crater. Our main focus is now to involve National Representatives who are working on a national level to foster collaboration of young permafrost researchers in their region/country. We will therefore promote opportunities for young permafrost researchers through our organization, including funding opportunities for National Representatives to organize local permafrost events.

Session Chair: Sara Strey (Northland College, United States)

Technical Support: Gabriela Roldan (University of Canterbury, New Zealand)

BIOLOGICAL - MARINE / FRESHWATER / TERRESTRIAL

• 22:30 - 22:45 GMT: It’s Time to Put a Value on Salps: Quantifying the Role of S. Thompsoni in Southern Ocean Energy Flow.

  Paige Kelly, Kerrie Swadling, Stuart Corney, Jessica Melbourne-Thomas and So Kawaguchi, IMAS, Hobart, Australia

  Abstract: In Southern Ocean ecosystem models, salps are often considered a “dead end” due to the assumption that higher trophic level species avoid them and instead prey upon more desirable food sources such as Antarctic krill. However, there is emerging evidence of more frequent “high salp/low krill” years in the Southern Ocean, meaning that avoiding salps may not be a viable option for typical krill predators. This evidence suggests it is time to reconsider the role of salps in the Southern Ocean ecosystem, and to quantify their potential energy input as a food source. To do this, we must have a better understanding of their life history, nutritional value, and the environmental conditions that favour salp blooms.

  We present preliminary results addressing these unknowns, including recent Salpa thompsoni life history and abundance data from the salp biome of the Indian Sector of the Southern Ocean, and comparative nutritional profiles of Salpa thompsoni and Antarctic krill. Results suggest that recent salp blooms are associated with the position of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, and that during periods of increased salp abundance, higher trophic level species may be faced with a food source that has <50% of the nutritional value of Antarctic krill.

  We discuss how this information is being incorporated into dynamic energy budget models, to inform how fish, whale and penguin species will sustain their metabolic needs under varied salp/krill abundance scenarios.

  This work provides previously unreported, quantitative estimates of the role of salps in the Southern Ocean, and will improve future predictions of how gelatinous species may alter the structure and functioning of polar ecosystems.

• 22:45 - 23:00 GMT: Microbial Oceanography of the Southern Ocean Water Masses

  Swan Li San Sow, CSIRO

  Abstract: The Southern Ocean (SO) is a major site for the sequestration of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2), responsible for up to 40% of annual oceanic CO2 uptake. Within harsh low temperature and high salinity environments of the SO, microbes dominate and support carbon sequestration and critical nutrient cycling processes. Carbon sequestration occurs mainly through a microbial-driven CO2 fixation biological pump. The effects of climate change on the physical oceanography of the SO may have a globally significant impact on the microbial ecology and therefore the efficiency of this biological pump. The extent of this impact is unclear, because the diversity and functional capacity of the microbial assemblages inhabiting the SO is still not well understood. Water masses within the SO also have distinct physicochemical properties and are likely to harbor varying microbial communities. Additionally, the key environmental parameters controlling these microbial community variations are still poorly deciphered. To better understand this microbial community, we sampled seawater at multiple ocean depths from 4 different transects along the Australian and New Zealand region of the Southern Ocean (71°E-170°W). Sampling interval was every 0.5 – 1 degree from 42 - 66°S. This study will not only advance the depth and breadth of the SO’s bacterial, archaeal and eukaryotic community composition through high vertical and spatial resolution metagenomics profiling using 16S and 18S rRNA gene tag sequencing, but combine this with physicochemical observations to investigate the potential triggers of the observed microbial community shifts. Preliminary bacterial 16S Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) data have shown community shifts before and after crossing major SO fronts, indicating the SO bacterial community to be endemic to hydrographically distinct water masses. Shifts were also at observed at depths 500 m and beyond. These findings will contribute significantly to filling critical gaps of knowledge on how changes in Southern Ocean physical oceanography under forecasted global change scenarios might change the CO2 uptake and biological pump in the Southern Ocean.

POLICY / EDUCATIONAL / COMMUNICATION

• 23:00 - 23:15 GMT: Approaches to Regulate High Seas Fisheries in Arctic Ocean -- A Perspective from New Entrants

  Yu Long, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China

  Abstract: All States are under an obligation to cooperate in taking conservation measures when regional fisheries management regimes are established for the performance of conservation and fish stock in high seas management. Such measures include the allocation of fishing rights, which in general are not clarified in the UNCLOS and the subsequent treaties. Instead, they leave certain discretionary room to the regimes. In the context of the Arctic Ocean fisheries, this paper will focus on what approaches are applicable, and how, when states are cooperating through existing regional fisheries management regimes. Emphasis is added on discussing how new entrants are accommodated into a high seas fishery regime as well as whether they are treated in a non-discriminatory manner. For understanding the extent of the participatory rights, the legal consideration will focus on three aspects, including qualification of memberships, allocation of participatory rights and its implementation.

  Following research will refer to state practices in the central Barents Sea (the Loophole). Fisheries management in the Loophole is a mixture of the coastal State solution and a multilateral approach on one hand, and corresponding regimes including the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission (the Joint Commission) and the NEAFC on the other. Considering both of the regimes related with new entrants, the analysis will compare their different approaches, especially regulations concerning allocation of participatory rights and their implementations in the Loophole. Finally, this paper will seek to comment recent changes in the governance of fish stocks in the CAO.

• 23:15 - 23:30 GMT: Internationalisation of Higher Education through Cross-boundary Science Initiative of the Polar Regions

  Ahmad Firdaus Ahmad Shabudin, National Higher Education Research Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia

  Abstract: In order to achieve competitive advantage in both national and international higher education ecosystem university increasingly adopt strategies for internationalisation, and research & development (R&D) as a part of key activities are seen as main elements for that contribution. Therefore, several universities have identified the tackling of global challenges and cross-boundary issues an important driver for internationalisation of its institution and R&D activities. With an increasing interest in the polar science across the globe, along with the long history of scientific collaboration within the regions (through research institutes and universities) and the engagement in polar science by state members of the polar governance (Antarctic Treaty System and Arctic Council), it is time to explore the theoretical understanding of how the efforts in polar science activities have formed a robust foundation for internationalisation dimension of national higher education and science agenda in order to strengthen effective communication with multi-stakeholder, particularly top management of university, policy makers and investors. The presentation will highlight the importance of the international dimension of polar science performed in universities, by bringing to the attention motivational cores and values for supporting the internationalisation of universities through polar R&D initiative, followed by main indicators used in practice to capture the extent to which dimension of polar R&D is internationalised. There are four possible national driver factors for internationalisation of university R&D activities through polar science initiatives which are political, economic, academic and cultural/social. Meanwhile, the publication, mobility, research funding, and networks and cooperation from polar science initiatives could potentially be harnessed to tap researchers and its university into internationalisation opportunities, position themselves strategically in the global science arena, and they might contribute to the advancement of global science as well as tackle grand challenges of polar regions’ socio-scientific issues.

GEOLOGICAL / ENVIRONMENTAL / TERRESTRIAL CRYOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENTS

• 23:30 - 23:45 GMT: Investigation of Water Track Networks and their Geotechnical Implications in Boreal Regions

  Mendbayar, Uyanga; Misra, Debasmita; Gupta, Tushar; Ghosh, Tathagata, University of Alaska Fairbanks, United States

  Abstract: Water tracks are drainage pathways that route water through the soil over a laterally constraining subsurface layer such as bedrock, clay, and permafrost. Due to the prevalence of permafrost in the polar environments, water tracks form the dominant drainage network and thus play a major role in hydrology, geomorphology, and geochemistry of the polar ecosystem. However, water tracks remain relatively unexplored and the existing literature is largely confined to their hydrological and geochemical properties in tundra biome devoid of vegetation. Main goals of this study are to initiate the investigation of water tracks in thickly vegetated boreal regions and to establish the foundation for a systematic understanding of their interactions with engineered infrastructures. Such understanding is vital in providing better resolutions for mitigating damage to infrastructures and for predicting potential impacts from climate change. Case studies conducted at two sites (a residential property and Goldstream Road) with highly-varying water tracks in Fairbanks, Alaska, led to different but quite promising insights. Water track characterization at the residential area revealed that water tracks not only form due to lateral constraining layer, but can also form along vertical boundary between two units with contrasting hydraulic properties such as compacted fill and natural soil. The water track by Goldstream Road suggested that temperature and moisture content are significant parameters of water tracks. Resistivity data collected by Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory on Goldstream Road also indicated low resistivity around the characterized track. Furthermore, several techniques to map water tracks in boreal regions were attempted at each study area. Findings from this study emphasize the need for future explorations of water tracks and their geotechnical implications. The outside-the-box approach of this study will encourage integration of engineering applications and practical merits to scientific researches to better cope with the arising challenges of climate change.

• 23:45 - 00:00 GMT: Art as a Tool to Communicate Science

  Emilie Sinkler, University of Alaska Fairbanks, United States

  Abstract: Art is a powerful tool used to elicit emotion, convey information, and even influence the way we perceive our world. It also shares similar elements to scientific research, with a focus on observation and interpretation. An art exhibit collects works from a variety of artists and a variety of styles and media, providing multiple perspectives on a common theme. These multiple perspectives encourage visitors to expand their thinking and connect with past experience.

  As a part of the Velvet Ice project in West Antarctica, we created an exhibit of art selected from works submitted by artists from around the world who found inspiration in topics from ice microstructure to ice core research to life at a field camp. The art illustrates physical and more symbolic aspects of our research. We showed the exhibit within a traditional setting in the Museum of the North in Fairbanks Alaska; however, to provide a more powerful connection between the art, the science, and the place, we installed the exhibit in open air near the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide camp. While this location limited visitors to those working at the camp, we are creating a "virtual" version of this exhibit through a website and book to share the exhibit more broadly. Many people connect more easily with art than with science; therefore, art is a powerful way to reach a broader public audience, to encourage new ideas and questions, to generate new interest, and to make science a more human endeavor.

POLICY / EDUCATIONAL / COMMUNICATION

• 00:00 - 00:15 GMT: Storytelling: Back to Basics

  Olivia Lee,University of Alaska Fairbanks, United States

  Abstract: A particular challenge faced by academically-focused researchers conducting outreach is the inability to translate research results into effective outreach material. Recent experience working with professional science communicators and artists has helped shape my expectations of what effective research outreach should or could look like. The basic concept of good storytelling was one of the lessons learned in ways to present complex, potentially controversial scenarios research in northern Alaska. Additional experience presenting lessons learned among a group of experienced art-science collaborators at a national conference further provided insight into the importance of story-telling and powerful visualizations for sharing research. With ever increasing availability of information through the internet and shrinking attention spans, storytelling can be used as a tool to more effectively share research broadly. Examples of storytelling use in a scenarios research project is shared and ideas to encourage other researchers to experiment with more effective stories to share research will be discussed.

CULTURAL / HISTORICAL

• 00:15 - 00:30 GMT: Geolocation Journeys: a Science+Arts Collaboration Supporting Marine Predator Research

  Jaimie Cleeland and Annalise Rees,University of Tasmania, Australia

  Abstract: Geolocation Journeys is an innovative collaboration between marine predator scientists at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies and the Tasmanian College of the Arts helping to increase public awareness and support Antarctic marine predator research. This presentation will discuss the cross-disciplinary collaboration and how the project is creatively promoting research by engaging public support.

  Geolocators are tracking devices used on Southern Ocean top predators, from delicate shearwaters to imposing elephant seals. Geolocators record ambient light levels, water temperature and time enabling scientists to uncover the foraging movements of predators to identify regions that are of high ecological significance. By gaining an understanding of how marine predators use their ocean habitats, and in particular how these regions are affected by human activities such as industrial fishing and climate change, more effective management strategies can be put in place for their protection.

  Geolocation Journeys brings together scientists and artists to create unique wearable artworks using ‘retired’ geolocators, to raise awareness of the extreme migrations these species embark on and the changing climate they are currently experiencing. With each piece comes a history of the individual animal the tag was deployed on and a printed map of the journey it undertook. These pieces are constructed using repurposed scientific materials; embossed with the unique identification number of the tagged animal.

  By sharing artworks with the non-scientific community through public talks, school workshops and open days these tactile objects metaphorically transport people into the Southern Ocean, with a view from the perspective of a seabird or seal. These tiny pieces stimulate and aid critical dialogue about Antarctica and the rapid changes it is experiencing. This project not only captivates those ecologically minded, but by bridging the fields of art, ecology, physics, astronomy, engineering and mathematics it appeals to a broad, curious audience.

Organizing Group:

• Hanne Nielsen
• Lorna Thurston
• Sara Strey
• Meagan Dewar
• Archana Dayal
• Gabriela Roldan
• Laura Hobbs