The Polar Retrospective – Successful Antarctic Citizen Science Project, Arctic Toxins and Erupting Volcanoes

by Polar Journal AG Team
07/14/2025

The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. This week we take a look at the impact of an NASA backed citizen science project in Antarctica, the increase in toxins levels in the Alaskan Arctic, and melting glaciers that might trigger more volcanoes eruptions.

Bowhead whale from the air. Image: Caila Kucheravy

The Polar Retrospective is a collaborative effort by the editorial team of polarjournal.net. Each writer chooses a topic they found interesting and important in the past week. The initials at the end of each section indicate the author. We hope you enjoy it.

NASA backed Antarctic Citizen Science Project Declared a Resounding Success

Scientists and tourists successfully working together at FjordPhyto. Image: Rutger Bauer via IAATO

The line between tourist and scientist is blurring in Antarctica, thanks to the NASA-backed FjordPhyto project. This innovative citizen science initiative enlists travelers on expedition cruises to help researchers understand the impacts of melting glaciers on the region’s vital phytoplankton populations.

A recent study evaluating the project’s first two years has revealed its profound success. The research, published in Polar Research, found that an overwhelming 97% of participants felt that their involvement in FjordPhyto enriched their travel experience. By collecting water samples and recording data, tourists gain a hands-on understanding of the scientific research that is fundamental to Antarctica’s identity.

FjordPhyto, a collaboration between scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Universidad Nacional De La Plata, and various tour operators, provides a crucial stream of data from remote fjords that would otherwise be difficult to monitor. The project not only expands the scientific knowledge but also fosters a deeper connection to the continent. As one participant expressed, it made them feel “less like just a visitor and more a part of keeping the science culture that Antarctica is known for alive and well.”

This successful fusion of tourism and research demonstrates the impact of citizen science. It empowers individuals, turning a trip to the white continent into a meaningful contribution to the public’s understanding and preservation of this fragile and crucial ecosystem. M.W.

Toxins detected in Arctic whales

The bowhead whales in this study feed near Utqiaġvik, at depths ranging from the continental shelf (45 m) to the deeper waters (over 300 m) of Barrow Canyon. Image : NOAA Fisheries

Published in June 2025 in the journal Nature, a study highlights a significant increase in algal toxins in the Arctic, directly linked to ocean warming. This finding was obtained by analyzing 205 samples of bowhead whale feces collected between 2004 and 2022 during subsistence hunts conducted by indigenous communities in Alaska.

The researcher team detected two marine neurotoxins: saxitoxin, produced by the dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella, and domoic acid, produced by diatoms of the genus Pseudo-nitzschia.

These toxins proliferate under the combined effects of rising temperatures, early sea ice melt, increased open water areas, and changes in wind and ocean currents. A. catenella “cyst banks” in the sediments of the Beaufort Sea are being reactivated by warming, while toxic cells are also being transported from the Bering Sea.

Whales, which filter contaminated zooplankton for food, accumulate these toxins in their digestive systems. Although the concentrations found in their feces are still low, researchers do not rule out the possibility of accumulation in the flesh or organs consumed by humans. This raises a growing risk to the food security of Arctic populations dependent on marine wildlife. The authors call for increased vigilance regarding these toxins in the food chain. C.L.

Melting glaciers could awaken dormant volcanoes, scientists warn

Mocho-Choshuenco volcano, in the Chilean Andes. It consists of twin volcanic cones and reaches 2 422 meters at its highest point. Its last eruption occurred in 1936. Photo: Dropus, Wikicommons

The accelerating retreat of glaciers due to climate change could lead to more frequent and more explosive volcanic eruptions, according to a study presented last week at the Goldschmidt Conference in Prague.

Conducted by a team from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the research, whose results were published last month in the GSA Bulletin, focused on six volcanoes in the Chilean Andes, including the now inactive Mocho-Choshuenco. By dating past eruptions and analyzing the structure of crystals in volcanic rocks, the researchers found that the thick glaciers of the last ice age suppressed volcanic activity, until rapid melting released the accumulated pressure, triggering explosive eruptions.

The weight of glacial ice acts like a lid, keeping magma pressure in check. But when glaciers retreat, this pressure is released, gases expand, and violent eruptions can occur. This phenomenon is well documented in Iceland, where increased volcanic activity has already been observed. According to the study, similar risks may exist in continental regions like North America, New Zealand, Russia, and Antarctica, hence the urgent need, according to the authors, to strengthen monitoring of glacier-covered volcanoes.

Beyond the geological threat, the study also warns of a climate feedback effect. While a single eruption can temporarily cool the planet, as seen after the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo, multiple eruptions over time could release large amounts of greenhouse gases, further accelerating global warming. M.B.