Arctic tourists make thousands of contributions to science
A major expedition cruise operator has reported a record 26,491 citizen science contributions from its Arctic voyages during its 130th anniversary year.
Sometimes holidays and leisure travel can make a contribution to science. HX Expeditions, which describes itself as the world’s first and longest-running expedition cruise operator, has reported a record Arctic season for citizen science during the company’s anniversary year.
According to the company, HX operates five ships across more than 250 destinations in over 30 countries, with a strong presence in the polar regions. This year’s Arctic season included 31 sailings, during which passengers and expedition teams made 26,491 citizen science contributions.
From wildlife to the clouds
The contributions came through nine citizen science programmes. Almost 89 percent were observations submitted to iNaturalist, a freely available platform with a mobile app where anyone can record encounters with wild organisms using photos or sounds. Observations meeting its data-quality criteria can become Research Grade and be shared with biodiversity data repositories used by researchers.
Many other contributions similarly involved observing, photographing or recording the natural environment. Participants submitted 1,286 marine mammal records to ORCA, 1,183 bird observations to eBird, 203 cloud observations to NASA’s GLOBE Cloud Observer and 73 contributions to the whale identification project Happywhale. Smaller numbers documented auroras, harmful algal blooms and marine debris.
Passengers also made 181 Secchi Disk measurements, a straightforward method widely used in aquatic science. The method uses a simple disk attached to a line and lowered into the water until it disappears from view. The depth at which this occurs, known as the Secchi depth, provides a measure of water transparency.
Tourism and science have a history
This year’s anniversary and record numbers draw particular attention, but science has long been part of the company’s expeditions. According to HX, its first expedition cruise to Svalbard in 1896 already brought tourists and researchers together.
Today, HX says every voyage includes at least two citizen science projects. The company also hosts professional researchers aboard its ships and collaborates with universities and research institutions.
Citizen science cannot replace professional research, but its scale is a fundamental strength. Large numbers of people can gather observations across wide areas and over long periods, including in remote regions such as the Arctic. It also takes many forms beyond those described here, giving people different ways to contribute. In many cases, participation is highly accessible and requires little more than curiosity and a willingness to carefully record what is found.
Dr. Yana Kirichenko, PolarJournal
