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The FjordPhyto citizen science project in the Antarctic Peninsula

Vernet, Maria1; Reynolds, Rick1; Cusick, Allison1; Mascioni, Martina2; Almandoz, Gaston2

Published Feb 07, 2024; Updated Feb 02, 2026 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.w0vt4b909

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Feb 07, 2024 version files 1.51 MB
Sep 10, 2024 version files 3.56 MB
Feb 02, 2026 version files 110.50 MB

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Abstract

FjordPhyto, funded by the United States National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2016-2019 and by the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) Citizen Science for Earth Systems Program IN 2021, is a citizen science project that examines the impacts of increasing glacier meltwater on local ecosystems at the ice-ocean interface of the Antarctic Peninsula (AP), with an emphasis on the western coast (WAP). The citizen science module is based on a collaboration with the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). Citizen scientists participate in a “validation safari” in which satellite data informs sampling to validate and refine a new ocean color algorithm to detect the glacial meltwater content of seawater from space. The in-situ measurements are combined with remote sensing data products to address scientific questions related to the impacts of glacial meltwater on phytoplankton community abundance and taxonomic composition. This project implements new field sampling techniques and conducts analyses of phytoplankton diversity through a microscopic and genomics approach. The scientific goals of this Citizen Science project are to determine the spatial extent of glacial meltwater through the seasons and identify concomitant shifts in phytoplankton abundance and community diversity in coastal Antarctic waters. Repeated sampling of this region from November to March along 3-6 degrees of latitude (62° S to 65° S and down to 68° S) is only feasible with tourist ships, or through remote sensing. The addition of a remote sensing component, validated by citizen scientists, is crucial for describing long-term synoptic trends and variability in the abundance and spatio-temporal extent of phytoplankton in this region, and for discerning how these patterns are likely to alter in response to changes in climate. This study provides a foundation to better understand phytoplankton diversity under current and potential future ocean conditions, and lead to more robust predictions on potential impacts to upper trophic levels and biogeochemical cycling within this rapidly changing ecosystem.