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Travelers visiting Antarctica helped UC scientists from San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography learn more about the polar ecosystem through a citizen science program called Fjordphyto. This program funded by NASA is committing the scientists of citizens to study how warming temperatures affect the life of phytoplankton around the Antarctic Peninsula by collecting data and samples.
In a preliminary study of the program’s impact, survey data showed that participants have expressed an appreciation for learning ecosystems and climate change while feeling enriched by the scientific commitment of citizens. These responses make it possible to understand how citizen scientific projects like Fjordphyto promote a positive and educational impact on polar tourism.
“The scientific projects of citizens like Fjordphyto can provide that the childish spark of curiosity, motivation, appreciation and exubence instills an additional motivation to visit the Antarctic continent,” concluded the study.
The study was published on April 30, 2025 in the thriller and was co-directed by postdoctoral scripps Scholar Allison Cusick, Biological Oceanographer Scripps Maria Vernet, Alumna Brooke Dixon and others. Their research was supported by the public participation of the National Science Foundation in STEM research and in the National Science Citizen Science for Earth Science program.
Read the study: Can a citizen science project enrich the experience of travelers in Antarctica? Case study of a preliminary assessment of the Fjordphyto project