There is no better way to feel like we made an impact on someone, as scientists, than to hear testimonials from passengers who participate in the polar FjordPhyto citizen science projects onboard. Thank you so much to Navya from this Antarctic season who interviewed Robert W. Gilmore and Allison Cusick and wrote her experience up in the UC Berkley University newsletter 

"Citizen science gives people of all ages the chance to participate in research and re-discover the most curious parts of themselves." "There’s still a way for people of all ages to re-discover the joy of exploration, tinkering, and experimentation — what science is actually about"

That IS what its about!! Please take a read and share!

https://www.planetforward.org/idea/first-class-citizen-science

This week (March 13-17) we’ve been at the #citsci2019 Citizen Science conference in Raleigh, North Carolina learning, networking, sharing, and growing. Allison Cusick gave a presentation on the FjordPhyto project in Antarctica and presented a poster for the Polar Citizen Science Collective. It’s been fun to run into some familiar faces and meet many more new ones! At the end of the presentations she received some fantastic questions and comments and even met one of the first citizen scientist passengers of FjordPhyto who participated in 2017-2018. We love love love the enthusiasm of this community! 

Conferences are a great way for researchers and educators to come together, learn from each other, and leave inspired.  

https://www.citizenscience.org/association/conferences/citsci2019/

Graduate student Martina Mascioni from Argentina, presented the FjordPhyto project at the SCAR Standing Committee on the Humanities and Social Sciences [SC-HASS] conference (April 3-5). This conference brings together researchers in the humanities and social sciences with an interest in the Antarctic region. Attending conferences is a great way to network, gather and share ideas, and talk to the broader community outside of the words we publish in primary literature! After the conference is over, its always good to build in some fun activities that let you explore the area! 

Fodor's Travel lists top 15 things you should know before you travel to Antarctica, and participating in science is listed as #5! We couldn't be happier to engage travelers in the polar research we are doing here in the Vernet Lab at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. If you're heading on down to The Ice, as to participate in FjordPhyto! You'll come away in awe of the microscopic life hiding within the icy waters. If you can't join on a trip, live vicariously through our social media posts and share these links with your friends and family! Thank you to all for your support!