Association of Polar Early Career Scientists

Session Chair: Maud van Soest, Louise Borthwick

Session Coordinators: Charlie Hewitt, Jéssica Campos, Sakshi Mankotia

Time: 12 May from 13:00 - 15:00 GMT

13:00 - 13:05 GMT: Introduction
13:05 - 13:20 GMT: Polar Science Awareness Seminars

Presenter: Emir Efe Karayel, Zeynep Özcan, Melih Miraç Mudu, Nazlı Barış

Institution: Keçiören Bilim ve Sanat Merkezi, Ankara-Turkey

Type: Oral Presentation

Category: Collaboration

Abstract: In this study, with the "Polar Science Awareness Seminars" developed and carried out by the researchers, it was investigated whether there was a statistically significant change in the knowledge of the participants about polar sciences and the effect of the participants on their opinions about polar sciences with the "Polar Sciences Awareness Seminars". In the study in which the mixed method was used, the pre-test - post-test single group experimental method and the semi-structured interview method were used. Twenty-five participants from the participants selected with appropriate sampling were pre-tested, application-"Polar Sciences Awareness Seminars" were held, and a post-test was applied at the end of the application. As a data collection tool, a questionnaire consisting of three parts, which was applied as a pre-test and a post-test, was applied to the participants through Google Forms. There is also a semi-structured interview form in the questionnaire. The quantitative data obtained were analyzed using the t-test for dependent groups. As a result of the analysis, the arithmetic mean (X), t value and significance levels (p = 0.05) of the groups were used. Descriptive and content analysis was performed for qualitative data. As a result of the research, it was seen that there was a statistically significant change in the knowledge of the participants on polar sciences with the "Polar Sciences Awareness Seminars" and the game "Polar Sciences Awareness Seminars" contributed to a positive change in the views of the participants on these issues.
13:20 - 13:35 GMT: Initiating a polar research project during a global health crisis: A perspective of unexpected challenges and accomplishments along the process of ‘Snow2Rain’

Presenter: Anna Burdenski

Institution: University of Vienna

Type: Oral Presentation

Category: Arctic

Abstract: As early career scientists and Ph.D. students, starting Snow2Rain, an interdisciplinary research project, in the middle of a global health crisis has presented us with a period of uncertainty, continuous learning and time-consuming processes. Our project integrates the disciplines of snow climatology and anthropology to explore the transition from snow to rain and its effects for the local people in Tasiilaq, East Greenland. The pandemic has presented us with challenges that range from not being able to meet the project team members in real life to not being able to conduct fieldwork in Tasiilaq, preventing us from meeting local people that are trivial to our project. Our overall goal became how we can efficiently use this unexpected and exceptionally long preparation period. The story we present here is partly a success story and partly one with remaining challenges. Engaging with digital tools, we aim to overcome the physical distance and hopefully pave the way for a mutual trusting relationship with the local people. Additionally, since data from a Regional Atmospheric Climate Model (RACMOv2.3) as well as from several weather stations are available to us, we managed to create a first assessment of precipitation changes in Tasiilaq during the period 1958-2019. Whether our efforts turn out to be a success and help to build the collaboration we intend between us and the local people remains unclear. With our presentation, we hope to share our story of starting an interdisciplinary, collaborative project in the Arctic during a global pandemic and reflect on remaining challenges as well as potentially new research approaches.
13:35 - 13:50 GMT: Lessons learned from a successful year of research in the Arctic sea ice

Presenter: Amy Macfarlane

Institution: Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL

Type: Oral Presentation

Category: Arctic

Abstract: Polar expeditions are known to come with challenges, and the MOSAiC expedition was no exception. Drifting alongside sea ice from October 2019 to September 2020 using RV Polarstern as a platform for approximately 5 x 50 scientists to conduct their research comes with enormous logistics. The participants involved in such an expedition ranged from experienced sea ice researchers to researchers for whom MOSAiC was their first central Arctic sea ice experience. Similarly, some equipment was explicitly built for sea ice research, and other instruments had never been used in such an environment of -40oC temperatures and 25 m/s wind speeds. The global pandemic challenged logistics around the world. In the Arctic, the travel restrictions extended to limit personnel exchanges, sea ice thickness pushed ice breakers to their limit, and ice dynamics meant instruments were lost to the ocean of unknown environmental impact. All these events, no matter how much training the participants had, were impossible to predict. We present the lessons learned from a successful year of research in the Arctic sea ice. We explain the need for: systematic schemes of if-then-else events; discussions in the initial stages with many experts; standard operating procedures; repair manuals for every instrument; practical training; and interpersonal communication training. At the same time, we will highlight the advances and knowledge gained in sea ice research during this expedition, including methodological advances, multi-disciplinary measurement synchronization, and the consistency achieved to create a year-long dataset.
13:50 - 14:05 GMT: Evaluating the impact of a youth polar Expedition on participants proenvironmental behaviour: A case study of Students on Ice alumni programme

Presenter: Christy Hehir

Institution: University of Surrey

Type: Oral presentation

Category: Collaboration

Abstract: This study advances our understanding of the elusive and complex concept of polar ambassadorship by assessing participants’ pro-environmental behaviour, up to 18 years after their polar voyage. The research explores how adventurous education programmes can act as a stimulus to lasting pro-environmental behaviour. Participants were recruited from the 2,500+ alumni of Students on Ice (SOI), a Canadian-based charitable organisation that leads educational expeditions to the Polar Regions for international high school and university students. The mixed-methods study was co-designed in collaboration with SOI and data collected via an online survey (n=217). The research tested relationships (both direct and indirect) between participants’ social identity towards the alumni programme and their subsequent connections with nature and pro-environmental behaviours. The results suggest social identity might be one way to explain the long-term impact of educational expeditions in terms of desired future pro-environmental behaviours, highlighting the critical importance of an alumni programme. This work suggests that social identity with an alumni group may continue to inspire and empower young people to make positive change in their own lives, in communities, and across the globe—not just immediately after their trip, but throughout their lifetimes. Such findings start to progress the existing ambassadorship literature beyond the immediate evaluation of such programmes to understand the subsequent development of participant pro-environmental values and actual behaviours in the longer-term.