Can a citizen science project enrich travellers’ experience in Antarctica? Case study of a preliminary evaluation of the FjordPhyto project

Abstract

Expedition cruise vessels travelling to Antarctica offer several educational opportunities, with Citizen Science (CS) projects being the most prominent way to engage participants in polar science. FjordPhyto is a CS project where travellers onboard expedition cruise vessels gather data and samples for five months (from November to March) during the Antarctic summer season to help researchers understand changes in microalgae communities in response to melting glaciers. Since its inception in 2016, FjordPhyto has involved over 8,000 Antarctic travellers. To understand travellers’ perceptions engaging with the program during its first two years, 81 voluntary feedback surveys were collected from participants during 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 seasons. When analysing open-ended questions, three main themes associated with participant experience emerged: educational, enjoyable, and motivational. Results showed that ‘educational’ was the most frequent category in responses when describing how their experience was enriched by CS engagement. Participants also expressed an ‘appreciation for scientific learning’ or specifically, for ‘learning about ecosystems and climate change’. Furthermore, 97% of respondents stated that participating in CS enriched their travel experience. This preliminary exploratory study provides a first understanding of how CS projects like FjordPhyto can have a positive impact on the polar tourism experience. This study sets a precedent for being a first assessment of the impact CS can have on Antarctic travellers and encourages further quantitative and qualitative studies to evaluate the effectiveness of CS to educate and raise awareness of environmental issues.