Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Sea of Change: Environmental and Cultural Dynamics in the Arctic  (Sea of Change)

Outline
A survey of existing on-line Arctic educational resources reveals a lack of synthesized, organized, and coherent information for the general public. The objective is to raise awareness, generate interest, and provide general understanding and appreciation of the relationships among the Arctic's climate, ecology, culture and history. Furthermore, we want to present in a "user friendly" way how the Arctic affects the rest of the globe, and vice versa. To quantify these goals, our evaluation process will measure whether our materials changed the participants' knowledge, attitude, or action. Another key constituent of our evaluation plan is an Advisory Committee, comprised of experts in Arctic research, science databases, and education. Scientific breadth and accuracy will also be ensured by our Arctic research Co-Pis: Igor Smolyar has co-authored eighteen publications that include oceanographic and biological time series data from the Barents, Kara, Laptev, and White Seas; Paty Matrai studies how marine particulate matter travels through the Arctic atmosphere and affects climate; Rolf Gradinger, Russell Hopcroft, and Bodil Bluhm lead international efforts to characterize Arctic biodiversity from sea ice, through the water column, and to the seafloor; and Susan Kaplan and Genevieve LeMoine study culture history, cultural change, and environment of northern indigenous peoples and the history of Arctic exploration. We will create the following deliverables, each of which is tailored for a specific audience: a multidisciplinary database suitable for wide range of users; several multimedia database interfaces that will offer access to data and information for the general public; and case studies that will provide concrete contexts for exploration of Arctic data by museum visitors, educators, and students. These deliverables will encompass an enormous amount of interdisciplinary science and social science data that are now accessible by experts but not synthesized for use by non-experts. We will also develop topical "case studies" for target audiences through a focused outreach program at the Peary-McMillan Arctic Museum. Guided by educational evaluation experts, these "case studies" will be inquiry-based, guiding learners through problem-solving activities that illustrate the Arctic as an interconnected system. Information will also emphasize how human populations have adapted - or failed to adapt - to environmental, cultural, and historical change. Multimedia tools will prompt users to analyze conditions including sea ice extent, changes in biomass and biodiversity, and monthly-annual-decadal variations in ocean conditions. Interaction with this information will help non-scientists reach their own conclusions about issues relevant to change in Arctic ecosystems.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Major initiatives such as NSF / OPP's Arctic System Science program use common databases to enhance interaction among members of the research community. Our project will "go an extra step" by synthesizing and packaging existing resources to bring a wealth of Arctic oceanographic, marine food web, and cultural information to broad, non-traditional audiences. As winners of two NASA technical achievement awards, our technical team has already made significant strides on the application of database technology for education purposes. This includes integrated digital multimedia archival, storage, compression, search, distribution, retrieval techniques, and an innovative sort-by-classification search engine.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Our program will feature a collaboration among research scientists, U.S. private and federal laboratories, commercial multimedia developers, the Arctic Census of Marine Life, and international partners at the Murmansk Marine Biological Institute and White Sea Biological Station, Loukhee District, Karjalah, Russia.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Although program content is largely based on field work, there are no new field activities associated with this Education & Outreach endeavor.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
None

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
Data from diverse collections (i.e., NOAA, Arctic Census of Marine Life, Peary-McMillan Arctic Museum, Russian colleagues) will be merged into a multimedia database pioneered by Raytheon Information Technology and Scientific Services. We will leverage and expand this database and its interfaces to be web-delivered, available to anyone with Internet access.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
National agency
Other sources of support

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
No

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?
New

Sea of Change will require about 24 months to complete. Interface design requirements could be developed inn spring 2005, followed by quarterly "beta test" feedback by the Co-PI team. We will send preliminary versions to the Advisory Committee semi-annually. Museum-based evaluation with target audiences will take place throughout the project.

How will the project be organised and managed?
As Education lead for two NASA Missions - TOPEX/Poseidon and Aquarius, partnerships with the Space Agencies of France and Argentina, respectively - the PI has established skill in managing diverse and widespread teams. Technical team members have demonstrated experience in producing a resources that are widely used by the education and research communities. Team members have worked productively across disciplinary lines and thus understand the processes by which we will arrive at a common language and make decisions. Success will depend on frequent contact, adhering to a schedule of milestones of deliverables within an atmosphere of innovation and creativity.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
We will leverage other IPY outreach efforts and the Peary-McMillan Arctic Museum's commemoration of Peary's 1908-09 North Pole expedition. We will use established dissemination channels for materials including the Digital Library for Earth System Education, Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence, BRIDGE, Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic, among others.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
N/A

How is it proposed to fund the project?
We have developed a proposal that has been submitted to the National Science Foundation "Arctic Research Program." We are also trying to secure funds through NOAA and private foundations.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
Our common goal is to create interdisciplinary educational resources; our common challenge will be integrating our knowledge and diverse ways of thinking into cohesive outcomes. The unique teaming of these experts on a high-visibility education project will serve as a model for interdisciplinary collaboration, providing "lessons learned" for future endeavors. This model will bring research, education, and innovation together to promote better understanding of integrated ecological systems.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Ms Annette deCharon
P.O. Box 475
West Boothbay Harbor, ME
04575
USA

Tel: 207 633-9663
Mobile: no
Fax: 207 633-9661
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation