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5
An Integrated Polar Biology Community:
Interactions Among Scientists,
Education, and Outreach
FACILITATING INTERACTIONS AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
ACROSS SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES
To develop a robust theoretical and empirical understanding of
organisms and their roles in polar ecosystems requires an integration and
synthesis of knowledge gained in many fields, from the biology of the
organism to the physical and chemical characteristics of its environment.
The Arctic and Antarctic polar science communities now have unique
new opportunities to use multidisciplinary research and an array of new
technologies to address questions that seemed unanswerable just a decade
ago. However, success will require collaboration and interchange of
information. Collaborations whether interdisciplinary, national, or inter-
national are typically more difficult for polar researchers than for scientists
working in other regions. This chapter explores some of the impediments
to collaborative efforts and possible avenues for improving collaboration.
Building an Integrated Polar Community
Recent reports have addressed the urgency and complexity of global
and environmental problems (NRC, 1999, 2001; NSB, 2000; NSF ACERE,
2003; PCAST, 1998~. The reports acknowledged that many scientific disci-
plines are required to understand the interacting and interdependent com-
ponents of the biosphere and Earth system science. The advancement of
many disciplines and the contribution of new technologies including
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polar organisms
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FRONTIERS IN POLAR BIOLOGY IN THE GENOMIC ERA
communication technologies to the social, natural and physical sciences
are also noted in those reports. Most importantly, the exchange and
integration of knowledge within and across environmental disciplines
have been given high priority in all these reports.
The challenge of integrated research for the polar scientific communi-
ties is considerable, because many unique factors contribute to a separa-
tion within and across the Arctic and Antarctic scientific communities. At
the simplest level is the difference in research field seasons. Most Antarctic
work is conducted during the austral spring and summer (October to
February), and most Arctic work during the boreal spring, summer and
fall (March to November). Thus, many polar biologists must rely on
collaborations with others to accomplish comparative studies of similar
habitats in the Arctic and Antarctic. A higher order problem is the lack of
a scientific society dedicated to polar biology and related disciplines. Such
a society would raise the profile of all polar research areas while provid-
ing a forum for researchers to establish collaborative, bipolar research
programs. Examples of focused biological organizations that provide
highly interactive and integrative research venues are the self-organized
Drosophila, worm (Caenorhabditis elegans), and zebrafish communities (see
representative web sites ,
AN INTEGRATED POLAR BIOLOGY COMMUNITY
12
· What is the set of natural resources necessary to maintain life?
· How are organisms common to both polar regions expected to
respond to nonlinearities of the hydrologic cycle predicted under climate
change?
· How does snowfall distribution affect the spatial pattern of plant
distribution across polar latitudes?
· Does the biodiversity in hot and cold extreme habitats have similar
survival (gene-based) strategies?
Clearly, building a mechanism to encourage information exchange
and collaboration across a community of scientists within habitats (oceans,
soils, aquatic systems, ice), across habitats within each polar region, and
across both polar regions should be a high priority. Enhancing data inte-
gration, syntheses, and knowledge in turn presents more opportunities
for polar studies to be seen as integral for comparisons to other eco-
systems and the biosphere.
Example of an Integrative Program
NSF OPP's Arctic System Science (ARCSS) Program has made admi-
rable strides in uniting the Arctic scientific community in a relatively
short time, both within the United States and internationally. The ARCSS
program was designed to advance the scientific basis for predicting envi-
ronmental change and for formulating policy options in response to the
anticipated impacts of global change on humans and societal support sys-
tems (see web site: ~.
To achieve its goal, ARCSS promotes the understanding of physical, geo-
logical, chemical, biological, and sociocultural processes of the Arctic
system. ARCSS has been successful in uniting polar scientists from vari-
ous disciplines by supporting large integrated research projects that are
proposed and implemented in response to science plans developed by the
scientific community through Science Steering Committees. Furthermore,
ARCSS has been particularly good at using web-based and e-mail com-
munications to broaden participation and the sense of community.
Lessons from that program could benefit polar biology, especially should
there be a genome initiative.
Working Groups and Workshops
Strengthening interactions within the polar community can be accel-
erated by providing new opportunities for small amounts of funding for
scientific workshops and working groups. Workshops and working
groups should consider the basis for understanding the fundamental pro-
22
FRONTIERS IN POLAR BIOLOGY IN THE GENOMIC ERA
cesses of biology through synthesis of concepts, theory, comparisons, and
contrasts. This approach allows teams of scientists that work on the same
or many different organisms (thus, many disciplines) within a particular
habitat (lakes in the Antarctic, soils in the Arctic, ice shelves), as well as
between poles (lakes in the Arctic and Antarctic, and so on), to share
information from various techniques and to develop new insights.
The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS)
funded by NSF, is illustrative of how a small international working group
can address a scientific topic and synthesize data and information. NCEAS
has held a series of meetings over one to two years involving different
participants. A key activity of these working groups is funding risky
projects to address novel scientific questions and to support syntheses
that might not be funded through traditional NSF channels. Easy access
to data from many sources (bioinformatics for genomes, environmental
data) is essential. Statisticians familiar with metadata and other statistical
analyses, as well as scientists experienced in geographic information sys-
tems (GIS) and modeling are frequently integral to the workshops. A
recent NSF review (NSF, 2002) highlighted the success of NCEAS work-
ing groups for the advancement of new theory and concepts, integration
and synthesis of science, and facilitating communications across disci-
plines. Another example is the International Arctic Polyna Programme
(IAPP) created by the Arctic Ocean Studies Board (AOSB) to address the
physical and biological role of three polynas in the Arctic. AOSB charged
a small group of international scientists (the Science Coordination Group)
to define the scientific needs and to coordinate the execution of research.
International, Multidisciplinary, Integrative Funding Initiatives
As genomics technologies begin to be applied to the study of physi-
ological mechanisms of polar organisms and their response to physical
stress, the need for international multidisciplinary research will likely
emerge. The sequencing and analysis of the model plant species
Arabidopsis thaliana, carried out by the Arabidopsis Genome Initiative com-
prised of scientists from large and small laboratories in the United States,
Great Britain, France, and Japan, represented a successful model for col-
laboration among international scientists with expertise in genomics, bio-
informatics, and plant biology. Although the six research groups secured
major funding from agencies in the participating countries (from NSF, the
Department of Energy (DOE), and the Department of Agriculture in the
U.S.), they are part of a single project. Representatives of the six groups
met to discuss strategies for facilitating international cooperation in com-
pleting the genome project and to establish a memorandum of under-
standing. Two key factors allowed for completion of this project several
AN INTEGRATED POLAR BIOLOGY COMMUNITY
123
years ahead of schedule. The first was the willingness of the participating
laboratories to work as a team to ensure that the project proceeded as
quickly as possible. In many cases this meant that original work assign-
ments were revised so that all laboratories were operating at maximum
capacity throughout the project. Second, the distributed workload meant
that the costs of the project were shared by funding agencies within the
participating countries. Development of an integrated, international, and
multidisciplinary polar genome initiative is likely to require cross-
directorate funding within the NSF as well as funding by other agencies.
At NSF, integrative biology and genomic research is funded by the Direc-
torate of Biological Sciences, whereas polar research and logistical sup-
port are primarily funded by the Office of Polar Programs. Other funding
agencies that support genomic research (for example, DOE's Genomes to
Life program and the National Institutes of Health's National Human
Genome Research Institute) do not provide logistical support for polar
research. Thus, administrative coordination across NSF directorates and
among funding agencies will be essential to facilitate integrative genomic
research in polar regions.
Existing multidisciplinary research programs can also be comple-
mented by the polar genome science initiative described in Chapter 3.
NSF has had great success with the Long-Term Ecological Research
(LTER) Network. The network is a collaborative effort involving more
than 1,100 national and foreign scientists and students. It promotes syn-
thesis and comparative research across sites and ecosystems and among
other related national and international research programs over long tem-
poral scales. Along with the other 21 LTER sites, research at the Alaska,
Palmer, and McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER sites has addressed a range of
questions from genomics to ecosystem-level science. The long-term envi-
ronmental datasets from the LTERs and information gathered by new
genomic technologies allow scientists to determine how organisms may
change, adapt, and evolve in response to the changing environment.
LTERs also allow comparative genomic studies on organisms in compa-
rable conditions at both poles that could answer a number of the research
questions outlined in Chapter 2.
EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
There are several compelling reasons why the flow of information
about polar biology to a wider audience should be enhanced. Perhaps the
most important is the significant role that polar ecosystems play in global-
scale phenomena. Polar organisms, while fascinating examples of adap-
tation to environmental extremes, also have a strong bearing on under-
standing ecological systems at lower latitudes. In terms of the effects of
24
FRONTIERS IN POLAR BIOLOGY IN THE GENOMIC ERA
global climate change, notably rising temperatures and changes in ultra-
violet (UV) radiation, polar organisms may prove to be "canaries in the
coal mine" that provide early indications of how change might be affect-
ing ecosystems. For example, because of their sensitivity to rising tem-
peratures, polar organisms could offer an early glimpse into phenomena
that may occur in ecosystems throughout the world. The diminishing
health of polar organisms and ecosystems is already impacting the daily
lives and health of the indigenous people of the Arctic. Therefore, it is
important to learn more about polar biology and to communicate what is
being discovered widely and rapidly.
Efforts to educate the public about polar science could be targeted at
a wide range of lay and scientific audiences. The key mechanism for
reaching nonscientists is the mass media. To reach young people, science
texts used in secondary and university-level education have to include
information about polar organisms and ecosystems. They should convey
both the excitement of the polar environment and the relevance of the
polar regions to pressing questions, ranging from insights into how bio-
molecules like proteins work, how new types of adaptive traits arise, and
how global climate change disrupts the functioning of individual organ-
isms and ecosystems as a whole. This same sense of excitement and
challenge has to be conveyed to the research community in order to attract
to polar science the types of expertise needed and a next generation of
creative minds.
There are three general target audiences that could be reached
through educational and outreach efforts: (1) K-12 and college education,
(2) the research community, and (3) local communities in the Arctic region.
K-12 and College Students
· Expand coverage of polar topics in textbooks (or develop textbooks that
focus on polar science, broadly defined). Although a text devoted to
polar biology might not be suitable for introductory-level classes, upper-
division undergraduate classes and graduate seminars might be excellent
contexts for presenting the information in such a book or monograph.
· Use modern educational technology such as real-time distance learning to
bring students into close contact with polar biology. Technology exists for
transmitting in real time (or recording for later presentation) the field
studies being carried out by polar biologists. An example of how this
technology might work is provided by the real-time transmission of
activities on oceanographic vessels, for example, the activities of manned
submersibles and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The Monterey Bay
Aquarium regularly projects real-time images of ROV activities being
conducted by its sister institution, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research
rev
. . .
AN INTEGRATED POLAR BIOLOGY COMMUNITY
125
Institute (MBARI). Live contacts with the scientists participating in these
expeditions have proven to be an exciting and educationally successful
mode of communicating science.
· Develop strategies for bringing teachers and students into thefield. Field
expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic for teachers and students allow
them to see first-hand what polar organisms are like, how they interact,
and how they are studied. The Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the
Arctic (TEA) program for K-12 teachers is one example of this type of
program (see web site )
· Web Sites. Web sites could provide attractive, informative, and up-
to-date exposure of new audiences to polar biology. A successful model
is the web site for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
Ocean Exploration program, which featured real-time images and "log"
updates by scientists during the first biology exploration of the deep
Canada Basin in September 2002. Provision of curricular materials that
can be downloaded from a web site could improve the instructional value
of polar biology.
· Polar scientists should be proactive in communicating their discoveries to
the media. If the media are to present increased coverage of polar biology,
then polar biologists must fully engage existing university and other
institutional resources for contacting the media and explaining why their
work merits press, radio, and TV coverage or assume that burden directly.
Polar scientists should take advantage of NSF's program on "Communi-
cating Research to Public Audiences," which provides funds for scientists
to disseminate research results, research in progress, and research
methods to public audiences through media presentations, exhibits, or
youth-based activities (see web site
26
FRONTIERS IN POLAR BIOLOGY IN THE GENOMIC ERA
work on polar organisms, in several cases with federal grant support that
has been awarded for their new lines of study.
· Develop workshops to educate scientists about prospects for working in
polar regions. Many scientists are apt to regard work in polar regions as
logistically complicated, inconvenient in terms of time requirements, and
"not worth the effort" involved. To provide an accurate portrayal of what
is involved in doing research in polar regions, workshops should be held
to familiarize potential polar investigators with the requirements and
opportunities for polar work. Included in these workshops should be a
statement of the opportunities that exist for winter season work at polar
laboratories, notably at McMurdo Station, where excellent research facili-
ties generally lie idle during the winter season.
· Develop small, focused meetings on polar biology modeled after the
Gordon Research Conference (GRC) format. Although symposia on polar
topics often occur within larger meetings, relatively small meetings focus-
ing on polar biology that are attended by scientists at different career
stages and from many countries could be an excellent vehicle for educat-
ing polar biologists about the activities of their peers. Two examples to
build upon are the GRC on Polar Marine Sciences held biannually and a
recent symposium supported by the Nordic Arctic Research program that
gathered 20 Nordic graduate students with 20 pan-Arctic senior scientists
for an educational retreat on Arctic ecosystems in Sigulda, Latvia.
· Bring potential collaborators to field sites. Principal investigators who
are currently conducting polar field research should be encouraged and
assisted to bring collaborators to the field sites. At a minimum, such visits
would improve the collaborators' understanding of the biology under
study. Such visits might also lead to increased involvement of the col-
laborators (or their students) in field work.
· Offer supportfor postdoctoralfellows. A federally funded fellowship
program for postdoctoral researchers could facilitate the entry of new
investigators into polar research. This program is currently under design
at the National Science Foundation.
· Offer support to new investigators. NSF has an existing program that
offers support for new investigators in polar science.
Local Communities in the Arctic Region
· Serve, engage, and respect indigenous communities. In the case of Arctic
science, educational and outreach activities must target the indigenous
communities that are part of the ecosystem that is being studied. This goal
can be reached via specially funded programs for teachers and students
in the north, but it can also be facilitated through regular research awards.
When a federally-supported research team enters the Arctic to undertake
AN INTEGRATED POLAR BIOLOGY COMMUNITY
127
research, one of their responsibilities should include a visit to the local
community leaders, and schools where possible, to explain the goals of
the funded research and engage in dialogue about the science and meth-
odologies involved. For example, when icebreakers enter coastal waters,
arrangements could be made for local residents, especially school chil-
dren, to visit the ship for an afternoon and witness the ongoing work.
This approach has been taken in recent years by the Canadian Coast
Guard icebreakers (to the mutual benefits of villagers and scientists) when
a research project brings the ship near a local village. For smaller scale
projects, individual research budgets could include funds to return to the
local community at the end of the study and explain in person how the
results may be of interest or importance to local residents.
· Encouraging local communities to contribute to research activities. This
seems a sound approach for communicating what science is being con-
ducted and why, and for facilitating the research. For example, engaging
knowledgeable residents or talented students in long-term monitoring
efforts may prove essential to evaluating the effects of environmental
changes on various aspects of arctic biology. In some cases, the research
may target local residents themselves as members of the ecosystem under
study. As the environmental side of polar genomics develops more
fully as we are better positioned to evaluate metabolic expressions in
situ with genetic information and tools key issues will also include
human residents as top predators. To the extent that local communities
continue to depend upon local food sources for their sustenance, the bio-
accumulation of contaminants will remain a serious human health
problem. If climate warming brings new pathogens to the region, micro-
bial genomics will become a critical tool for charting potential solutions.
Partnerships between polar genomic sciences and the health and social
sciences will increase.
· Respecting local culture and customs of indigenous communities. Asking
local communities for input about research questions and incorporating
native knowledge of polar biology can bring surprising rewards scientifi-
cally and socially, as documented by Krupnick and folly (2002~. Respect-
ing local culture and customs can open the door to sharing scientists'
excitement about local biological issues among secondary school chil-
dren, which may in turn facilitate entry of some of these students into
research or related careers where they currently are underrepresented.
Sensitivity to local knowledge and customs of indigenous communities
may be a prerequisite to orchestrating some of the long-term monitoring
programs discussed earlier and is certainly essential to conducting
research that includes the resident as a member of the Arctic ecosystem
under study.
