FjordPhyto: Citizen science in the Antarctic

Oceanographers on a boat in the arctic.

Air and ocean temperatures have notably increased in the Antarctic since the 1950s, with publications finding that it is the third fastest warming region on Earth and that 87% of its glaciers are in retreat. Its nearshore, fjord-dominated areas are particularly sensitive to this glacial retreat, the effects of which can be detected throughout this crucial ecosystem where local megafauna … Read More

Citizen scientists deploy RBR CTDs and collect valuable ocean data

rbr-citizen-science

Citizen scientists are a boon to oceanography. In a field where measurements are needed across 70% of the Earth’s surface and to depths of hundreds or thousands of meters, citizen scientists, collecting reliable high-quality data – often using RBR instruments – are adding pins to the data map. As their value is becoming more widely recognized, citizen scientists are being … Read More

Fin-ished? Citizen scientists cast CTDs as part of an investigation of salmon mortality in British Columbia’s Salish Sea

Oceanographer casting a CTD

In 2014, the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project (SSMSP) began, launching over thirty scientific studies into the lifecycle of Coho and Chinook Salmon of the Salish Sea. These West Coast fisheries collapsed over twenty years ago, and have not since recovered. At the close of this five-year program, researchers hope to understand why salmon mortality is so high. Their aim … Read More