Arctic | Seabirds
Communicating climate change through science, art and education Presenter: Katie Morrison , katiem@ucds.org, UCDS Maria Coryell-Martin , maria@expeditionaryart.com, Expeditionary Art
Communicating the research methods and findings of scientists to the general public remains a crucial part of all scientific endeavors. We will present multiple ways in which we have engaged the public with an Arctic study and the impact of climate change on the Arctic ecosystem. Mandt’s Black Guillemot is a circumpolar seabird, whose Arctic populations are associated with sea ice throughout the year. With 48 consecutive years of field research, ornithologist George Divoky has created a unique, extended data set that provides compelling evidence of the biological consequences of a warming Arctic. The Black Guillemot can be thought of as an “indicator species”, due to its dependence on Arctic Cod and the cryopelagic ecosystem. This seabird study has served as an anchor for science instruction for K-12 students, through curriculum developed by science educator Katie Morrison. To reach a broader audience, in the summer of 2019, expeditionary artist Maria Coryell-Martin and Morrison traveled to Divoky’s study site, Cooper Island, a remote island in the Alaskan Arctic. There, they assisted Divoky with his research on the seabird colony. While in the field, Coryell-Martin sketched with ink and watercolor, and created multimedia recordings which became the foundation for additional studio paintings. The result of the collaboration was an interdisciplinary museum exhibition, Witnessing Climate Change, featuring 47 consecutive years of research by Divoky through studio and field paintings and included video, research tools, artifacts from the island, and a hands-on bird banding activity for visitors. In this presentation, we share our experiences creating paintings, science curriculum, and stories that illustrate the biological, atmospheric, and personal consequences of a warming Arctic.
Alaska Marine Science Symposium 2023 74
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