Citizen Science Projects
We are proud to support many vital citizen science projects on board our ships as we venture to off-the-beaten-track locations.
In this modern, digital-savvy, and well-traveled age, researchers and scientists are turning to everyday travelers and communities to help build and develop their understanding of the world's most biodiverse habitats. Every year, thousands of people become Citizen Scientists by participating in a range of global projects that contribute to long-term research.
We are proud to aid the scientific community by hosting researchers and supporting many vital citizen science projects on board our ships as they venture to off-the-beaten-track locations like the Northwest Passage, Svalbard, Antarctica, and beyond. On each voyage, we engage guests in at least two citizen science projects as part of our on-board Science & Education program, which aims to increase guest knowledge and interest in the areas guests are sailing to.
The Polar Citizen Science Collective
The Polar Citizen Science Collective is leading the way in bringing the science community and polar expedition operators together by providing support to run Citizen Science projects.
Founded in 2018, the Polar Collective is empowering the polar tourism industry to participate in vital scientific projects taking place in some of the world's most remote and coldest locations. Polar tourism organisations such as HX Expeditions are in a unique place to help bridge the logistical gap many of these projects face to ensure projects and research can take place.
In addition, these projects offer unique opportunities for our guests providing a hands-on educational experience and turning them into true polar Citizen Scientists. Supporting operators across both the Arctic and Antarctic regions, the Polar Collective currently oversees third-party Citizen Science projects covering animal population surveys, seaweed biodiversity, studies into Phytoplankton communities, and many more.
Just Some of the Projects You Can Get Involved With.
From collecting water samples in Antarctica to Secchi Disk surveys in Svalbard: We work with and support organizations around the world to bring you unique, hands-on experiences that improve not only your knowledge of the destinations and wildlife we visit, but also our scientific understanding of how we can protect and preserve them for future generations.
When you join your voyage, speak to a member of our Expedition Team, who can provide more information about the projects taking place on board your ship. Keep reading to find out more about the projects we support.
Aurorasaurs
Destination | Norway
Aurorasaurus is the first Citizen Science project that collates sightings of the Northern and Southern Lights to improve real-time tracking and understanding of the beautiful phenomenon.
As Citizen Scientists, you can enter your observations of the aurora, helping to improve our understanding of their frequency, location, and visual characteristics. The site also collects related tweets, maps them, and asks users to help verify the data being collected - helping to alert users in real time.
Happywhale
Destination(s) | All
Aimed at growing and developing our understanding of whales and dolphins, Happywhale uses images submitted by guests to map the movement of marine mammals around the world.
The image recognition software reviews the images, matching them against previous encounters with the same animal, building a unique profile, and markings on the tail or dorsal fin. All the profiles are available for scientists and animal lovers to review and use across all research projects.
Fjordphyto
Destination(s) | Antarctica
Phytoplankton is the foundation of the marine food web, and the team at Fjordphyto aims to better understand the impact of climate change and melting sea ice. You can help us to collect water samples, undertake Secchi Disk studies, and record environmental conditions like seawater temperatures and salinity to submit to this project.
This research helps build a long-term picture of the changes in fjord Phytoplankton communities in the polar regions - adding to the global insights on climate change.
Active Feedback
Regardless of their scientific background, many guests come on board and are excited to get involved with our Science & Education program, from learning about the effect of the climate on phytoplankton levels to getting a better understanding of the northern lights in Norway.
Active Engagement
A key part of our Expedition Team, the Science Coordinators are given time to ensure citizen science projects are a key feature while they are on board. To ensure we have consistency and quality, we usually incorporate a specific project across multiple sailings so that we can gather enough data to support the research.
Active Collaboration
When we first embarked on our on-board Science & Education program, we worked closely with various organizations to help fine-tune our selection of projects and ensure their aid in the overall guest experience. We have been proud to support them ever since.