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Discovering Antarctica’s Invisible Forest with FjordPhyto

FjordPhyto citizen scientists collect seawater and phytoplankton samples to investigate the changing polar marine environment.
FjordPhyto citizen scientists collect seawater and phytoplankton samples to investigate the changing polar marine environment.

The FjordPhyto citizen science project has joined the NASA family! This project is a collaboration between researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego (USA) and tour vessel members of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators. With the help of trained Polar Guides, travelers visiting the Antarctic Peninsula help to gather phytoplankton from the glacial-covered fjords. As glaciers melt, scientists want to know how the changing environment impacts the microscopic level of life, the phytoplankton that feeds everything in the Southern Ocean.

FjordPhyto compares its samples of phytoplankton and glacial meltwater to data from NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) satellite. This work provides valuable information about one of the most remote and fastest changing regions in the world. Travelling to Antarctica? Join the project at www.fjordphyto.org!

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Last Updated
May 22, 2023
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NASA Science Editorial Team

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