Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Looking at Antarctic fishes under the ice  (FISHICE)

Outline
The knowledge transfer from scientists, operating in polar areas, and lay community is often made complicated from the strict timing of the scientific research. This is the main reason why science is often perceived as something abstract by a general and not specialized public. In this framework, the proposed activity aims at contributing to communicate and make understandable up-to-date scientific information by using familiar media. Based on the fact that visual representation is a crucial part of the communication process, the proposed activity focuses on the production of a documentary film on Antarctic fishes living under the pack ice in the Terra Nova Bay coastal region (Ross Sea). All the underwater videos are made by using Romeo, a ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) designed for mid water marine science applications and largely experimented during Italian Antarctic Expeditions. Most of the images and videos, useful to build up the documentary film, are already available. They have been recorded during the 2005/2006 Antarctic Italian Expedition, but until now they were only used for strictly scientific purposes (ECOFISH project). Additional documentation will be recorded during the 2007-2008 expedition at the Italian Antarctic Station in collaboration with scientists involved in field activities in the framework of existing scientific research projects. The documentary film will be the core of a multimedia product including photo galleries, video clips, informative documents and links to other polar science web-sites. A FISHICE web site will be constructed in order to give access to students and large public to the multimedia product. The scientists participating in the project will keep an high level of attention on polar Science communication during Antarctic activities in the frame of their ongoing projects during the IPY period and during national and international meetings and seminars. They will collaborate in public initiatives and public events dealing with science, such as the Genoa Science Festival that takes place in Genova every year and involves hundreds of high school and university students.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
To convey high level scientific and technological information on Antarctic marine life through familiar communication media will allow a knowledge transfer from scientists operating in polar areas, and lay community. The multimedia products will stimulate in particular the interest of young people towards scientific and technologic studies, so matching one of the major target of Polar Year educational themes. Moreover the project will contribute to a better-informed large public on polar science, so increasing the awareness of the crucial role played by polar regions.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Interactions will be coordinated at international level with other projects dealing with communication of Polar science. In particular significant collaborative exchanges with the Project: “Live from the Poles; A Multimedial Educational Experience”, (funded by the National Science Foundation, Leader Chris Linder, WHOI) is envisaged (a letter of support and interest is attached). Moreover a close collaboration will be active with scientific projects that include educational aims besides the scientific ones. The senior scientists participating in the present EoI are involved in national and international Antarctic research since 1988 and are presently involved in IPY endorsed projects on fish ecology (e g. ROSSFICE, IPY ID. 248). Moreover they will participate in new investigations in Antarctica, such as the Aurora Australis campaign 2008 in collaboration with French colleagues (CAML, IPY project n. 53) in which initiatives of science communication are planned.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
The field activity will be performed at Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea) and coordinated in the frame of scientific projects, during the IPY period. Two of the senior scientists are invited to participate in the Aurora Australis cruise 2008 (CAML, IPY project n. 53) in the Eastern Antarctic.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: 10/2007 – 03/08            

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
The field activity at Terra Nova Bay does not require specific logistic facilities because it is already included in the PNRA projects “Integrated approaches to study reproduction and early life-stages in Antarctic coastal fishes” (Responsible Marino Vacchi, ICRAM/ MNA) and the project “Antarctic underwater habitat investigation using an ROV and artificial vision” (responsible Riccardo Bono, CNR-ISSIA). The strict interaction with the scientific interface results in a reduction of the logistic needs for the specific educational field activity, thus maximizing resources utilisation and cost effectiveness.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
Not relevant for this project.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Own national polar operator

No

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
No - The underwater records on fish, representing the core of the present proposal, is a very recent acquisition (as output of Antarctic activity during recent Season 2005/2006), therefore previous submission to national and international IPY Committees (in order to get endorsement) was not possible and the activity here proposed is not included yet in a IPY larger project coordinated internationally.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
Yes

The project is new and innovative in that it connects scientific research and educational purposes. However for the logistic aspects and field activity, the project interacts with existing scientific research programmes.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will be the result of a collaborative effort of partners with specific competence in their area of expertise: - ecology and biology of Antarctic fish (ICRAM, MNA, DIBIO); - robotics applied to ROV (CNR-ISSIA); - multimedia education and e-learning (UNIVERSITY). The project will be managed in the frame of PNRA (National Programme for Antarctic Research, Italy).

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
The whole project is centred on Education, Outreach and Communication activities.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
FISHICE will not address scientific data management issues as such. Data will be collected as part of the science education research activities planned in this project. The multimedia product resulting from the present activity will be made available to schools, museums and other target structures involved in education.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
The MIUR (Italian Ministry for University and research) is expected to provide the bulk funding for the project.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Eva Pisano
DIBIO (Department of Biology, University of Genova)
Viale Benedetto XV, 5 - Genova
16132
Italy

Tel: +39 0103538052
Mobile: no
Fax: +39 0103538047
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation