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Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop (2022)

Chapter: 6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research

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Suggested Citation:"6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26699.
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6
Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research

Many workshop participants recognized that expanding the diversity of people who participate in scientific research will likely have tremendous benefits both for the scientific enterprise and for society at large. The limited diversity found in many fields of science and engineering is known to be a major challenge in the realm of polar science. This is due in part to some of the unique characteristics of polar science, such as the long deployments required to do fieldwork (typically several weeks to months at a time) and the physical and financial health and capability requirements that limit who can deploy for fieldwork.

New technologies in and of themselves will not solve these complex challenges. But if designed with intent, technological advances can provide new tools and strategies to expand the field of who can engage in polar science. In this session, “engagement” was broadly defined to include both engagement of scientists themselves (to broaden participation in polar research) and engagement of students and the broader public (to expand general understanding and appreciation of Earth’s polar regions).

A panel of speakers discussed a range of technologies currently being developed and/or utilized to allow more people to engage remotely with particular environments without having to deploy to polar regions—for instance, through virtual and augmented reality technologies, “mission control” models for remote instrument operation and advances in data collection and sharing to enable “distributed” analysis efforts. Other speakers discussed the unique value of having opportunities to experience the wonders and the challenges of polar regions directly. The session highlighted the importance of thinking about technology innovation as a pathway both to expand remotely based research opportunities and to expand possibilities for who can participate in fieldwork. See Box 8 for a discussion on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues beyond technological solutions.

TECHNOLOGIES AND STRATEGIES TO EXPAND “REMOTE” RESEARCH ENGAGEMENT

Melissa Battler, Mission Control Space Services, discussed the ways her program’s technology expands space exploration and how it could potentially advance polar research. Mission Control’s goal is to shape a world where all humans cherish planet Earth and wonder at the universe because they have access to knowledge, perspective, and inspiration through exploration. Their work builds on the recent paradigm shift from large-scale, large-budget projects administered by one or more space agencies toward commercially delivered, faster-paced, and lower-budget missions.

Suggested Citation:"6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26699.
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Mission Control attempts to facilitate science and maximize the efficiency of scientific operations by harnessing new computing technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence and cloud architectures) and harmonizing engineering capabilities with scientific and commercial user needs. It offers an open-source software operations platform that allows users to remotely operate and receive data from space-based instruments. Users can remotely control the software platform in real time, based anywhere in the world with an Internet connection, even in Antarctica. This accessible mission control strategy both minimizes the cost and enhances the user experience of mission operations. Battler noted that the budgetary and logistical challenges found in space exploration are similar in polar research, and thus Mission Control’s approach could potentially be applied to expand remote participation in polar research operations.

Suggested Citation:"6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26699.
×

Technology can be harnessed to help bring polar data into the classroom, helping students develop a sense of connection to polar environments. Alia Khan, Western Washington University, discussed the Polar Space & Place Program’s “Polar Pass,” an interactive polar environment learning platform for undergraduate students. The objectives are to advance spatial learning in the geoscience curriculum and to increase polar knowledge and interest, so students can view the polar sciences as a viable career path. Additionally, they aim to develop and test innovative teaching tools and methods that increase the sense of place for students. The Polar Pass curriculum includes two modules (comprising multiple units using 360-degree interactive environments): one module to support the exploration of processes and feedbacks and another module to explore long-term spatial transformation. One major focus is the Watson River watershed (see Figure 13) on the western coast of the Greenland ice sheet. The modules allow students to interact with a landscape they would otherwise not be able to immerse themselves in. The modules incorporate feedback and biogeochemistry effects of snow and ice melt. Images are also taken at different times of the year so students can get a better visual and spatial understanding of the seasonal evolution of the ice sheet and downstream hydrology. In the classroom, students are working with the actual discharge data from the stream gauge in the Watson River watershed so they can visually compare what this looks like.

Jason Cervenec, The Ohio State University Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, described the Virtual Ice Explorer program that applies some of the same virtual reality (VR) technologies discussed by others. The program develops 360-degree VR tours that allow students to explore Earth’s cryosphere on computers, tablets or smartphones, and VR headsets. Once the tours are built, the modules can be used for asynchronous or synchronous programming. The product is designed to give students a contextual sense of

Image
FIGURE 13 Image from the Watson River module. SOURCE: A. Khan, workshop presentation.
Suggested Citation:"6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26699.
×

the polar environment. The system uses off-the-shelf technologies (e.g., Go-Pro cameras) and some basic software. His group has found that it’s important to collaborate with field researchers to develop a narrative for the tours. For some tours, they create a compelling challenge for students to complete while interacting in the virtual environment. Cervenec’s team has learned that tying in a narrative with the virtual tours piques the students’ interest when exploring the virtual platform. See Box 9 for more on telepresence.

Seth Finkel, Matterport, discussed some of the work his company is doing and how it could potentially be applied to the polar context. Matterport is a spatial data company that creates digital representations of indoor facilities and the built world. It has a hardware platform that uses cameras—ranging from high-end capture devices to those as simple as mobile phones equipped with lidar—to build three-dimensional, interactive, photorealistic, and dimensionally accurate models of a space via their powerful deep-learning neural network that automatically stitches images together. They can even identify objects through machine learning and computer vision. Once a model is constructed, users can annotate and build in information to allow other users to meaningfully interact with the digitized space. They offer separate infrastructures designed for government and sensitive (nonpublic domain) environments. The British Antarctic Survey is already using this for their scientific research program, Polar Science for Planet Earth,1 with a “Virtual Antarctica” series of digital twins.2 Matterport’s technology has been upgraded and is now equally capable of capturing both indoor and outdoor environments. Finkel believes that their technology could be applied to Antarctic field research. This has the potential to improve the accessibility and safety of such research. If people cannot deploy to Antarctica in person (e.g., financial or physiological

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1 See https://www.bas.ac.uk/data/our-data/publication/polar-science-for-planet-earth.

2 See, for example, https://www.bas.ac.uk/project/virtual-antarctica/virtual-antarcticajcr-demo-vr360.

Suggested Citation:"6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26699.
×

constraints), Matterport’s technology could allow people to interact with the fieldwork from their desktop or mobile phone.

As an ambulatory wheelchair user interested in Antarctic research, Diana King, University of Wollongong, discussed a combination of methodologies that have allowed her to do fieldwork from her desk in Australia. For long-term monitoring of changes in vegetation communities in East Antarctica, King and her team have a set of permanent locations where she analyzes samples of moss taken from the field. Photographs of each one are taken to be analyzed later. The images are run through a semiautomated, object-based image analysis that King developed. Thresholds of red, green, and blue and hue, saturation, and intensity values are used to classify moss into categories of healthy, stressed, or moribund (i.e., dead) as well as to determine plant cover in each quadrant studied in each season. The method’s accuracy is comparable to field measurements while reducing the time required in the field and observer bias.

Over larger areas, King and her team use uncrewed aerial vehicles to fly hyperspectral sensors to assess vegetation distribution and abundance. This provides observations between seasons, but King and her team have yet to determine what is happening within seasons. King suggested that this is where the Antarctic Near-Shore and Terrestrial Observation Systems could install automatic monitoring systems at key ecological sites to create a real observation system. These systems, coupled with regular biodiversity surveys, could enable researchers to identify changes in Antarctic ecosystems.

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FIGURE 14 A web page where the public can tag seals. NOTE: Black dots are seals and blue dots are tags. SOURCE: M. LaRue, workshop presentation.
Suggested Citation:"6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26699.
×

King noted that this is a long-term commitment requiring the collaboration of Antarctic programs worldwide and will be crucial for guiding policy and management of Antarctic ecosystems throughout the region. She remarked that it is important to ensure that data from the combined automatic and field surveys are comparable and thus can be analyzed together to determine trends and changes. The systems have been designed to use off-the-shelf components and can be easily maintained in the field.

Michelle LaRue, University of Canterbury, discussed how seals living on fast ice (i.e., ice that fastens to the Antarctic continent) return to the same place every year to give birth to their pups. It is infeasible to do comprehensive on-the-ground surveys across the thousands of kilometers of fast ice around Antarctica, so LaRue and her team work with very-high-resolution (30–60 cm) satellite imagery to assess seal populations. Because the resolution is so fine, LaRue and her team can employ community science (“citizen science”) to count the Antarctic seal population. They use an online web platform, accessible to anyone in the world with Internet access. LaRue worked with more than 320,000 volunteers who logged onto her campaign to figure out not only where the seals were located, but also how many were in each location (see Figure 14).

For 2 years, the campaign covered an area the size of New Zealand. LaRue and her team found that seals were on less than 0.55 percent of the ice available. The online web platform enabled LaRue and her team to come up with the first-ever population for the seals in Antarctica. This same method is now being operationalized in the Arctic to search for walruses. Some workshop participants noted that there could be some interesting opportunities to pursue “gamification” (i.e., making research and learning fun) in Antarctic science. This could also link to community science efforts.

BALANCING OPPORTUNITIES FOR REMOTE-BASED AND IN-PERSON RESEARCH

As the prior session illustrated, VR and related technological advances can improve the engagement of broader communities; however, some participants stressed that VR should be seen as additive technology, not as a replacement for in situ participation. In particular, one participant expressed concern that technology reducing the need to go to Antarctica may lead to a subpar experience, which could also further exacerbate the observed underrepresentation of many groups and those unable to spend extended time in the field given financial, family, or other obligations. Deneb Karentz and Erin Pettit offered their insights on the value of in situ participation and ways to reduce barriers to entry.

Deneb Karentz, University of San Francisco, shared perspectives about building the next generation of Antarctic scientists based on her work as co-director of the International Training Program in Antarctic Biology. Founded in 1994 by Donald Manahan and funded by the National Science Foundation, this program is designed for early-career researchers who have an interest in Antarctic biology but have never been to Antarctica. To date, the program has

Suggested Citation:"6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26699.
×

hosted 268 participants across 11 field seasons who have come from 142 different institutions and span 33 nationalities. Some of the goals for the program include:

  • Introduce participants to unique aspects of Antarctic biology through both the formal on-site program and informal interactions with scientists on the station.
  • Provide practical experience in field methods and logistics.
  • Broaden the disciplinary diversity in Antarctic science.
  • Prepare the scientists to be successful in developing their Antarctic research proposals and programs.

Karentz noted that in-person field experience allows for observation of live organisms in their natural habitat, which provides insights on how to design a research project. It also allows people to experience the challenges and logistical constraints of working in an extreme environment. The benefits of personal interactions are difficult to replicate in a remote-based learning situation. The interactions and knowledge sharing that happen among program participants can often lead to innovative research ideas and long-lasting friendships and personal collaborations. Karentz said that consideration should be given to how remote-based programs and technologies may be designed to accomplish some of these same goals and benefits.

Erin Pettit, Oregon State University, discussed some key lessons and insights gained from her work leading Antarctic field research and working with the “Inspiring Girls Expedition” program, which gives girls—especially those from historically disadvantaged backgrounds—an opportunity to experience what it is like to be a field scientist. She noted that new technology can help with broadening participation in polar research, but effective actions and words by research team leaders remain the most critical factor. Teamwork is challenging when there are unbalanced power dynamics between a principal investigator and their students or between the more experienced people and newcomers, and poor leadership can undermine the goal of expanding participation in field sciences. Pettit noted that it is important to focus not just on the objective side of science (e.g., theories, analytical techniques, protocols, and processing methods) but also on the subjective side. Two different people may ask different questions and draw different conclusions from observations, so it is important to foster each student’s unique “science identity.”

Pettit also noted that the scientific community needs to be mindful of the barriers many people face entering science (e.g., lack of scientific role models in the family, little to no experience camping or exploring the outdoors). Leaders of a research project need to ensure that team members are fed, rested, and warm, but also to ensure that they feel like contributors whose ideas are valued. She noted that individuals on a team will step up to a challenge when shown that their contributions are valued. The polar community is making progress in “changing the old narrative that only strong white men do polar research, but we have much farther to go,” Pettit said. The most creative discoveries and most rigorous science happen when a team works together and each member feels valued.

Suggested Citation:"6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26699.
×

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Suggested Citation:"6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26699.
×
Page 47
Suggested Citation:"6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26699.
×
Page 48
Suggested Citation:"6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26699.
×
Page 49
Suggested Citation:"6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26699.
×
Page 50
Suggested Citation:"6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26699.
×
Page 51
Suggested Citation:"6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26699.
×
Page 52
Suggested Citation:"6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26699.
×
Page 53
Suggested Citation:"6 Technology Advances to Expand Participation in Polar Research." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/26699.
×
Page 54
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Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are important research locations for many scientific disciplines, including oceanography, biology, and astronomy. Because of its remoteness and the extreme and dangerous weather conditions in which researchers must operate, research in this region presents many unique challenges. New and improved technologies can make Antarctic research safer, more efficient, and capable of covering a greater spatial and temporal range, all while minimizing the costs and environmental impacts of this research. At the request of the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs, the Polar Research Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop on May 3-5, 2022, to solicit broad community ideas regarding how technological developments can advance and expand Antarctic research and polar research more generally. Workshop participants discussed recent and potential technological breakthroughs, cross-cutting research themes, and how new technologies can facilitate broader, more diverse participation in Antarctic research. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshop.

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