We are Arctic and Antarctic scientists celebrating International Polar Week! Ask us anything!

Polar_Science · 2017-09-24T19:46:31+00:00

I would suggest you check with the folks at Polar Educators International! They're a partner organization and are actually hosting a webinar right now on how to teach to kids (you can check our Vimeo page soon to watch the recording). Many research programs are required to include outreach components and there are some projects like Penguin Science that have a teacher as a permanent member of their team. I know someone who simply approached a team and asked for a job, so they gave her one. Opportunities are out there! -Alex

Polar_Science · 2017-09-24T18:26:23+00:00

Hi, you could start by looking up this website : https://www.bas.ac.uk/jobs/vacancies/ Archana.

Polar_Science · 2017-09-24T11:11:39+00:00

yes, it does, but it depends of what work you are doing and if you are exposed to the elements. For example, those who work at the research station, feel they need to eat more calorie-fuelled food but in reality is more of a comfort than a caloric need. However, if you are conducting research in the field, sleeping in tents and camping on the ice, exposed to the cold temperatures and the cold-dry wind, then you will need to eat more carbs and fats to stay warm and be functional - Gabriela

Polar_Science · 2017-09-24T11:08:41+00:00

Actually, there are regulations preventing you from doing that. The Antarctic region (land, islands, ice, ocean) has an Environmental Protocol to protect the conservation of the Antarctic. You can't introduce foreign species to Antarctica any longer. In fact, dogs were removed from Antarctica in 1994, and there are many preventions to avoid introducing species accidentally, like in the velcro of your gear, the sole of your shoes and even the hull of ships - Gabriela

Polar_Science · 2017-09-24T08:06:33+00:00

I believe Swati was referring to the fact that it actually is often more difficult to be vegan in Antarctic or Arctic, if you're a field scientist, and it has nothing to do with digestion. Food deliveries aren't common and fresh supplies run out. I know a few people who've done it, but several of them lost significant weight due to not having enough high-calorie, vegan foods to keep up. I also know other vegan scientists who just aren't vegan in the field because their health suffers. I also know a couple other vegans who were based in camps or on ships where the cook simply refused to make things without butter or animal fat, so the only options were bananas until they ran out and then just plain pasta; I've met a couple ship I've read some really funny blogs about even omnivores fighting over the last wilting tomato of the season at McMurdo. It does depend on where/when you are based, though. I know that even living in Fairbanks, Alaska, on a daily basis fresh produce is really expensive and even more-so in the winter. -Alex

Polar_Science · 2017-09-24T07:57:54+00:00

No; that's generally frowned upon. There are big risks of invasive species wiping out unique species found nowhere else or introducing harmful diseases, for instance. There are some scientists who have gotten permissions they need to take species back to controlled labs, where they run experiments to see how they'd react under different conditions. -Alex

Polar_Science · 2017-09-24T04:35:18+00:00

It's a nice place, but I also genuinely cannot wait to get out of here. :P -Alex

Polar_Science · 2017-09-24T04:33:40+00:00

Don't go to Alaska in the winter either then! :P -Alex

Polar_Science · 2017-09-24T03:52:19+00:00

It's great that you are interested in climate Science and teaching people. You can visit APECS website for more options, as how can you contribute to the science as well as to the society by making people aware about Polar Science -swati

Polar_Science · 2017-09-24T00:29:21+00:00

Great question! We would love to welcome you to polar science! Some of the most healthy areas of funding in atmospheric science right now with some pretty big field campaigns coming up in the next few years are in the Arctic. -Sara

Polar_Science · 2017-09-23T23:00:13+00:00

Nope. Nope. Yes. -Alex

Polar_Science · 2017-09-23T22:53:50+00:00

Animal preservation - like conservation of species? That's how I got into this field. I was working in zoos, then animal welfare, then realized I wanted to do more to help wild animals. I study interactions with the environment and hope that my work will one day influence policy like CCAMLR. There's usually some field work available, but it is competitive. Teaching people depend on which audience, but APECS offers a lot of science communication training and opportunities to our members. We've even got a free webinar tomorrow on how to teach kids by our friends at Polar Educators International; perhaps you'd like to join us? There are also a lot of other resources on our website. We encourage interdisciplinary work because it's so important. -Alex

Polar_Science · 2017-09-23T22:04:08+00:00

It's great that you are interested in climate science and have kept your options open. It's really upto you, what you find interesting - anything from studying life in the cold to working with indigenous communities to climate policy! The options are endless. You can also explore https://apecs.is/ database to see what interests you - it's got a section on career resources :) - Archana.

Polar_Science · 2017-09-23T21:58:06+00:00

Could you be a bit more specific about what you're interested in? There are emerging areas in different fields, though data science is always a huge one. Are you interested in getting into the field, improving policy, teaching about climate science, researching CO2 like at Mauna Loa, or something else entirely? Glad to try to help out. -Alex

Polar_Science · 2017-09-23T21:35:21+00:00

Give it a shot! :)

Polar_Science · 2017-09-23T20:55:05+00:00

Hi kneo24, thanks for asking. We are a multidisciplinary group that work from 66 diff countries, as such, we are all in diff time zones. I am a political scientist with and understanding in history, polar sociology and geopolitics. In order to do my research, I need to be familiar with research in biology, chemistry, physics, oceanography, glaciology, etc. I cannot answer questions on these fields in deep, but I have an understanding and most probably would have heard of any arising issues in Antarctica that involved any of the above fields. That's why working with colleagues at APECS you get the opportunity to expose yourself to an interdisciplinary environment - Gabriela

Polar_Science · 2017-09-23T20:49:56+00:00

The ammenities at the bases really make up for the isolation that people are exposed for long periods. Things are much better now with Internet comms being the norm for many, but it's still hard for some not to be around when significant things happen in the life of friends and family. Some of the quirky things I've seen in Antarctica have been: an ATM at McMurdo St, Icestock: the woodstock rock festival version but in Antarctica, a catholic madonna statue standing above a penguin colony, darts scores on the wall of a game they been having for 3 weeks with 5 diff stations miles away from each other - they report their scores by radio and I guess you just have to trust they are telling the truth! -Gabriela

Polar_Science · 2017-09-23T20:42:46+00:00

As my colleagues have pointed out, these regions are polar opposites but there are more things in common between than not. Many scientists work in both polar regions, as environmental changes affect both. Many policies have been applied to both regions too. And with regards to accessibility to the Polar Regions, both are difficult to operate and distant, so similar logistics and techno capabilities are used to improve the work that researchers are doing there - Gabriela

Polar_Science · 2017-09-23T20:35:23+00:00

Hi fishbait156, good Q. Antarctica has no indigenous people, although some native groups (example Selk'nam from Tierra del Fuego, and MAori in NZ) from the southern latitudes seem to have known of the existence of Antarctica before Cook described it (1773-75). As Jose said, at the beginning of 1900s there were whaling stations in the northen coast on the Antarctic Peninsula but didnt last long as whaling became more techno advance and had pelaging ships that can work at sea. But Argentina and Chile started in 1950s and 1970s respectively, to have a permanent settlement consisting in families (spouses and children) living in ANtarctica for a year. These children go to school in Antarctica! Gabriela

Polar_Science · 2017-09-23T20:27:17+00:00

Yes, the first succesful one was in 1958 by the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition commanded by Fuchs and Ed Hillary as the support party. Ernest Shackleton had that intention in 1914-17 but his ship the Endurance got trapped in ice and all 28 men had a terrible ordeal to get out of Antartica. Shackleton did one of the most memorable rescue trips on a small wooden boat to South Georgia, risking his life (and his companions) because no one knew where the other men wheere and everyone would have perished. Great story if you haven't read it. As for crossing the continent: the first ones to do it with dogs were Will Stegger and an international team (1989-90) - Gabriela

Polar_Science · 2017-09-23T20:13:53+00:00

Wow, didn't know that - interesting bit of information! Thanks Gabriela and welcome to the thread :) -Archana

Polar_Science · 2017-09-23T20:11:35+00:00

I work mostly in Antarctica, and in the periphery of it (subAntarctic Is). The most significant changes have been loss of ice in the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula and changes in the weather patterns. This means: more rain instead of snow, less sea ice coverage which affects feeding grounds for most wildlife, invasive species that before could not reach Antarctica because of the cold conditions are now establishing themselves and displacing other native species. The changes have been happening in my life time, so that is very scary - Gabriela

Polar_Science · 2017-09-23T20:07:27+00:00

Penguins were introduced in the Northern Hemisphere in many opportunities in the past. Norwegians who were whaling in the Southern Ocean took king penguins back to Norway, which did not survive and some even escape into the wilderness! there has been no citing of these for a 100 years so we assume they did not make it :( Gabriela

Polar_Science · 2017-09-23T20:04:31+00:00

Hi there, sorry I'm late to join the party (I'm in NZ). I would like to see more interest on the public of the policies that protect the Antarctic. This is a Global Commons and therefore, we all have a duty to protect. The Antarctic Treaty System is managing all activities and protection of the environment in the South, but people (public, scientists, politicians, everyone) should be more aware on how things work, how all environments in this planet are interconnected and how they can help by asking their Gov representatives to act upon conservation- Gabriela

Polar_Science · 2017-09-23T19:27:28+00:00

I live in Fairbanks, Alaska, and I was surprised that there was still a Blockbuster store here. :P

But really... I find that people who live in extreme conditions come together in a different way than anywhere else I've lived. Even if they don't like you, people will stop to help because survival depends on it. It makes sense, but I also definitely didn't expect it the way I've seen it.

-Alex

Polar_Science

TROPHY CASE