Association of Polar Early Career Scientists

Session Chair: Maud van Soest, Louise Borthwick, Rahul Dey

Session Coordinators: Leonie Bronkalla, Yue Bai, Iulia Nita, Pablo Almela

Time: 12 May from 15:30 - 17:30 GMT

15:30 - 15:35 GMT: Introduction
15:35 - 15:50 GMT: Polar Traveler

Presenter: Enes Furkan Ersoy, Nazlı Barış, Rukiye Ersoy

Institution: Keçiören Bilim ve Sanat Merkezi, Ankara

Type: Oral Presentation

Category: Collaboration

Abstract: In this research, with the game "Polar Traveler" in the knowledge of the participants' polar science research, global climate change, greenhouse effect, polar animals whether there is a statistically significant change and with the game "Polar Traveler" on polar science research, global climate change, greenhouse effect, polar animals what kind of a change in opinions has been investigated. In the study using the mixed method, pre test – final test single group experimental design and semi-structured interview were used. Appropriate the achievement test was applied to fifty-seven of the participants selected by sampling as a pre-test made and applied as a final test. Half of the twenty-five volunteers among the participants structured interview form was applied. The quantitative data obtained for dependent groups it was analyzed using the t-test. As a result of the analysis, the arithmetic mean of the groups (X), t value and significance levels (p = 0.05) were used. Descriptive and content analysis for qualitative data has been made. As a result of the research, with the game "Polar Traveler", the participants existing knowledge on research, global climate change, greenhouse effect, polar animals a statistically significant change in his accumulation and the game "Polar Traveler" it was seen that it contributed to a positive change in the opinions of the participants on these issues.
15:50 - 16:05 GMT: Learning from the Lockdown

Presenter: Anvita Kerkar

Institution: National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research

Type: Oral Presentation

Category: Antarctic

Abstract: January-March 2021: as a part of the Indian Scientific Expedition to the Southern Ocean I was busy collecting and processing samples on-board, way too away from civilization, almost unaware of the changing scenario on the land. Extremely fortunate we were to get back home, when the first national lockdown (initially 48 h, then extended, re-extended and so on) was declared. Exhausted after the fieldwork, it took me a few days to realize that things are going to be really different henceforth, which is when I began to plan how to work from home. I made a meticulous plan for the data that was to be analyzed and interpreted for a paper (that was recently accepted) focusing on phytoplankton productivity and bio-optical characterization of the coastal Antarctic. Writing this paper was a memorable time indeed, as I got a lot of time (like never before) to read, modify the write-up and mold it the way I felt it would be the best. This was the time I also made the very initial start to plan my PhD thesis writing with a deadline to submit by March 2021. Just then, I received reviews for an earlier paper, which taught me how challenging a major revision could be (totally a contrasting experience than the first and recent paper). The year 2020 was a year of well-planned hard work that bestowed its rewards also in early 2021 in the form of nice publications, national award for popularization of science and of course, submission of the PhD thesis. The pandemic taught me to plan well for uncertain times, draw deadlines and do the best to achieve them. It also keeps me alert for the post PhD life, learning to apply for postdocs and working with the next manuscripts.
16:05 - 16:20 GMT: Fieldwork through COVID-19? Getting results during pandemic in the Chilean Andes in the 2020-2021 summer season

Presenter: Felipe Ugalde

Institution: University of Chile

Type: Oral presentation

Category: Collaboration

Abstract: The Chilean Andes are known for hosting an enormous range of geomorphological features which includes almost every kind of glaciers from north to south. Despite their scenic beauty, most of the mountainous areas are private, require time consuming permissions and, occasionally, considerable access fees. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, all fieldworks attempts demands double planning and taking strict sanitary measures, converting simple documentation task into expedition-complex work and execution. This study highlights the results obtained regarding two projects on which the author is involved: A glaciogeological Master thesis and a public funded initiative concerning the virtualization of five different sites within the central Andes near the Metropolitan region. To the date, the Master research has involved four different field trips at nearby glaciers. Fieldwork has consisted mainly on photographic documentation and geophysics and drone surveys. On the other hand, the Cordillera Virtual Project, funded by the Chilean Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation Ministry and executed by Chilean NGO EGEA, has successfully completed to the date two of five fieldworks task, which involves the operation of drone and 360° cameras. The main difficulties faced by the author relates to permission acquisition by the competent authorities and an unprecedented meteorological episode occurred on 30 January 2021, locally known as the “atmospheric river” precipitation event. Although the use of drones has substantially improved the video and image acquisition tasks, by reducing displacement distances, many natural obstacles remains after the extreme weather event. In addition to critical pandemic numbers in the Chilean sanitary system, as the cold season comes closer in the southern hemisphere, all pending fieldworks gets quite unpredictable and with uncertain results.
16:20 - 16:35 GMT: Appearing of disappeared: one Arctic-thousand cameras

Presenter: Anastasia Deyko

Institution: Unaffiliated

Type: Oral Presentation

Category: Arctic

Abstract: Idea to apply “Appearing of disappeared: one Arctic-thousand cameras” as abstracts for APECS International Online Conference came based on my collaborations with Barents region and archive research of glassier of Andes. The core of the “Appearing disappeared” is: to unite - to collaborate - to be aware. My experience in the world of photography is adapted to the needs of monitoring global warming in the Arctic. Through national official photo archives and private visual memories of the elderly to scientific photo documentations, I intend to make the younger generations aware of how dramatic and rapid climate change, especially with snow peaks, mountain lagoons and glaciers. One Arctic-thousands cameras is the mix of modern internet technologies and traditional art of photography. Project is devoted to changes in Arctic regions from the value and aesthetic point of view, but based on the visual evidence. I believe that photo bridges (online archives in the end) are the easiest way to explain (visualize) climate change, independently of age, nationality, geographical position. On the other hand photo bridges over the generations (EG from archives of elderly through professional photos and to Instagram of recent residents) will unite synergy of propaganda in the united language. To listen “Before we had permanent snow here” from ingenious habitants means nothing for millennials, relocated to cities. Neither, scientific data or satellite maps. But photography remains unique and the most informative, dogmatic language. At APECS International Online Conference I will present Appearing of Disappearing in the way photography reflects scientific data of climate change. And vice versa. The presentation will include a prototype of the final network with visual examples.
16:35 - 16:50 GMT: AIM - Antarctic Induced Music

Presenter: Nuno Pereira

Institution: Polytechnic Institute of Beja, Portugal

Type: Oral presentation

Category: Antarctic

Abstract: Antarctica is a special region, not just for ecological reasons, but also because it triggers the imagination. Since the old days of the famous explorers, until the present, even with the most advanced technology, going to Antarctica is always a challenge, not void of some peril. Using the “magic aura” of Antarctica to address important topics, such as climate change and environmental protection, in an accessible and engaging way, has been the aim of the Antarctica Research & Education Program (AREP) since 2017. In the first two campaigns, in 2018 and 2019, at the Bulgarian Station in Livingstone, the program implemented a robotics STEM education project, involving students and educators from secondary schools. When we started to look for alternative paths that would allow us to increase society's awareness on Antarctica, art was the obvious choice. The scope of AREP was expanded to STEAM education, in this case, to include music. Supported by thousands of photos, and also videos, from several locations in Livingston, we designed the AIM project, to explore the imagination of young people through two different languages: that of visual elements, in our case photography and videos, selected by them according to the feelings and sensations triggered by their observation and, on the other hand, that of music whose composition is induced by these sensations. In this communication we present the methodology implemented using a visual qualitative approach, grounded on an art-based research, and the preliminary results obtained with the participation of two high school students aged 13 and 15. The final result is a video with the selected visual elements, edited by one of the participants, with the soundtrack composed by the other. Under the present conditions imposed by the pandemic, this approach allows us to engage students and educators in a creative and intellectual challenging process.
16:50 - 17:05 GMT: Smelly molecules and phytoplankton

Presenter: Deborah Bozzato

Institution: University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Type: Oral presentation

Category: Arctic

Abstract: The Arctic is warming much faster than the rest of the world. Some organisms are able to thrive in the hostile polar environments, as a result of ad hoc physiological adaptations, even though changing conditions are threatening their existence. Phytoplankton, in particular, play a key role in this ecosystem, being responsible for primary production and producing important compounds like dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). Despite decades of research, the environmental drivers involved in the production and conversion of DMSP remain unknown (McParland and Levine 2019). Moreover, DMSP is a precursor of the volatile dimethyl sulfide (DMS), which promotes the formation of aerosol particles and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in remote marine regions. Thus, DMS contributes to regional climate feedbacks in the Arctic climate system, and therefore, it is important to collect additional measurements also in these remote regions. This project contributed to the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) field campaign (https://mosaic-expedition.org/). The sea-ice sulphur cycle is one of the core parameters of MOSAiC. We collected a record of the DMS(P) concentrations and distribution within the sea-ice and water column over the course of the yearlong expedition, with a particular emphasis on the spatial and temporal variability of these important sulphur compounds. The work combines measurements of concentrations of DMSP, DMS and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) using Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTRMS), transformation rates of these compounds using stable isotope additions and identification of the microorganisms (microalgae, bacteria, archaea) driving these processes using high-performance-liquid-chromatography (HPLC) and microscopic analysis.

Poster Q + A 2: 17:05 - 17:30 GMT

Controls of organic matter degradability in thawing holocene permafrost deposits in the Lena Delta, Russia

Presenter: Sara E Anthony

Institution: Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne

Type: Poster

Category: Arctic

Abstract: Organic matter (OM) in permafrost soils is at risk of increased microbial degradation as the climate warms. To assess lability of OM and susceptibility of organic carbon (OC) losses in a Holocene permafrost deposit, samples were collected along a 6-meter depth profile on Samoylov Island, in the Lena River Delta, Russia. A combination of 14C dating, microbial lipid analysis, and microbial respiration experiments were conducted to determine the variations in lability. Several variables showed a significant difference between the active layer and permanently frozen soils. Total viable microbial biomass indicated by phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), was significantly higher and mean respiration rate was significantly lower in the active layer compared to the frozen soils. In contrast, total neutral lipid fatty acid (NLFA) concentrations, an indicator for Eukaryotic organisms and fungi, were significantly lower in the active layer compared to the permanently frozen soils. This suggests differences in the microbial community in thawed and frozen soil. Higher ice/water contents in the frozen soil may facilitate transport to, and uptake of, substrates by microorganisms resulting in higher respiration rates. Microbial respiration rates are promoted by higher organic carbon/total nitrogen values in soil and soil water, indicating that future climate conditions will play a strong role in carbon release from these soils.

Poster

APECS International Online Conference 2021_Poster presentation - Sara Anthony from APECS Webinars on Vimeo.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Polar Science: APECS Alpine Cryosphere Group experiences

Presenter: Rodrigo Paidano Alves

Institution: Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria

Type: Poster

Category: Alpine

Abstract: The term ‘Alpine’ has a pre-Roman origin, with ‘alp’ meaning for “mountain” referring to the entire mountains system or used as a general substitute for mountains. These landscapes provide natural and patrimonial goods coming from their distinctive climatic, ecological, geological and hydrological settings. Mountains also have an integral part of the terrestrial cryosphere (encompassing snow, glaciers, and even permafrost), providing a regulating function for water collect, storage and distribution toward the lowlands. In these regions, alpine ecosystems can be defined as high-altitude habitats above the tree line and are subject to extreme abiotic conditions, playing a key role in terrestrial carbon storage. Understanding the structure and how alpine ecosystems are naturally regulated is a significant challenge, especially their global biogeochemical cycles. An increasing number of researchers are working in the mid-latitude cryosphere, including high-altitude alpine environments (e.g., Third Pole or Himalayas), not just the Polar Regions (e.g., Arctic and Antarctica). In this context, the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) Alpine Cryosphere Mountain Group was created to improve resources for non-polar researchers through building partnerships and sharing information. The project group aims to provide a network platform and provide valuable resources for early-stage scientists working on alpine and cryospheric environments. Thus, Alpine Cryosphere Mountain Group members can stimulate the defense, preservation, and conservation of the environment, and promote the sustainable development of polar, oceanic, and cryospheric environments. Regardless that research projects involve geology, ecology, chemistry, botany, hydrology, or zoology, the emergence of the covid-19 pandemic put a strain on research activities, forcing scientists to adapt and react to this new reality. Sharing these experiences with other research groups working on mountain ecosystems can be used as a valuable lesson, and a reminder to adapt and develop the capacity to amend unexpected scenarios, which will be essential to the future of research related to alpine sciences and perhaps also elsewhere.

Poster

APECS International Online Conference 2021_Poster presentation - Rodrigo Alves from APECS Webinars on Vimeo.
Seasonal habitat selection in Arctic hares: explaining mass movements on Ellesmere Island

Presenter: Ludovic Landry-Ducharme

Institution: Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)

Type: Poster

Category: Arctic

Abstract: Movement is key to animal survival in poor environments such as the polar deserts of Northern Canada. Studying animal movement is thus crucial to better understand Arctic ecosystems. In 2019, we documented with satellite telemetry a large-scale mass movement of Arctic hares captured around Alert (Ellesmere Island, Canada), going towards the Lake Hazen basin in the Quttinirpaaq National Park of Canada. Arctic hare migrations had already been suggested, but never demonstrated. Where Arctic hare populations are large, such as on Ellesmere Island, identifying the factors influencing habitat selection of this species across seasons will improve our knowledge on the dynamics of the entire tundra ecosystem. My project aims to determine the main factors explaining habitat selection of Arctic hares at the local and regional scales in the northern part of Ellesmere Island. In summer 2019, 25 hares were equipped with Argos satellite collars near Canadian Force Station Alert and tracked until spring 2020. In summer 2021, we plan to deploy GPS-Iridium collars on 20 more hares, yielding more precise locations than Argos collars. We expect Arctic hare habitat selection to be influenced by plant cover and landscape topography, but that it may vary depending on the 4 main phases of their life cycle (summer, winter, and spring/fall relocation phases). Hares rearing young around Alert during summer should select rocky and hilly areas, which provide good shelter from predators. In winter, they should occupy habitats with good primary productivity and limited snow accumulation. During their fall and spring relocations, hares should travel routes crossing plant-rich patches to replenish their energy reserves. It is surprising how little is still known about polar desert ecology, thus this research will help describe key aspects of wildlife biology in the northernmost region of Canada.

Poster

APECS International Online Conference 2021_Poster presentation - Ludovic Landry-Ducharme from APECS Webinars on Vimeo.