Fjord Phyto

As Antarctic glaciers melt, ocean water changes. Scientists want to know how these changes are affecting the tiny plant-like creatures known as phytoplankton, which serve as the base of the Antarctic food chain.

If you are lucky enough to visit Antarctica as a tourist or guide, Fjord Phyto wants you to gather water samples - and the phytoplankton they contain. Scientists use these samples to study how these organisms respond to seasonal variations and to climate disruption.

Go to Project Website

who

Boaters and passengers on cruise ships

division

Earth Science

where

Antarctica

launched

2015

What you’ll do

Make water quality measurements and collect samples for analysis of phytoplankton biodiversity.
Examine your phytoplankton sample under a microscope.
Learn about the Antarctic ecosystem and food web.

Requirements

Time to get started: The sampling is a short activity during a boat ride (~1 hour).
Equipment: None. The project supplies guides with all necessary equipment.
Knowledge: None. Guided experience for participants; training available for guides.

Get started!

Visit the project website.
Watch the video on the “About” page.
What role is right for you?: visit the Getting Started page for options.

Learn More

Explore the new Fjord Phyto StoryMap (available in English and Spanish!) to see where FjordPhyto is in action and see some of the phytoplankton that have been caught in project net tows.

Visit the project blog and Publications & Media web pages to read more about the happenings and accomplishments of FjordPhyto.

Socialize with the team!

Visit YouTube to see images of phytoplankton, researchers in action, and the beautiful landscape of Antarctica.

A black rubber boat with an outboard motor is driven by a polar guide. We can see five red-jacketed tourists, each with a hat, sitting on the sides of the boat. One red-jacketed tourist is holding one end of a rope. The other end of the rope descends over the side of the boat into crystal clear water where we can see the plankton net being towed through the Antarctic water to catch a sample.

These tourists, led by their polar guide, are collecting a plankton sample in a towed net.

Image shows several clear, skinny cylinders with spikes radiating from either end. Each cylinder contains one or more areas of irregular, brown-gold material. As is typical of images made through a microscope, only a narrow plane in the image is in focus, with objects nearer or farther from the plane appearing out of focus.

A greatly magnified image of diatoms of the genus Corethron, which are commonly found in Antarctic waters. Diatoms’ translucent cell walls are made primarily of silica, which is also the main ingredient of most manufactured glass.