Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

Travel to Antarctica is increasing with more than 123,000 visitors traveling to the Southern continent last season (IAATO 2024). As visitation increases, participatory science programs (PSP) enable tour cruise operators to incorporate sustainability messaging and a sense of purpose into the travel experience. Antarctic tour expedition vessels are increasingly incorporating PSP on board as engagement activities for travelers to contribute to scientific efforts. This project evaluates in what ways participatory science programs enhance visitor experiences in Antarctica. The main objective is to assess how participation in PSP could foster environmental awareness and meaningful connections. I focused on the FjordPhyto program, which engages travelers in phytoplankton sampling aboard cruise ships along the Western Antarctic Peninsula (Cusick et al. 2020). Traveler responses can help tour guides and operators understand the role of PSP in the overall satisfaction of passenger experience. They can also help to develop programming to further enhance the traveler experience and environmental literacy, with the potential to mold travelers into polar advocates and community science participants upon return home. 

Please see media created for this project here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13X4aRJJ64tIDIhJUvF6DUyL55dXpGw6L?usp=share_link