Tourists Solve Plankton Puzzle in Antarctica

Tourists in Antarctica aren’t just snapping photos of whales and icebergs—they’re also lending a hand with some cutting-edge scientific research on teeny, tiny plankton. These microscopic organisms are the building blocks of the ocean’s food web, and trying to track their health and behavior in Antarctica is like piecing together a puzzle without all the pieces. That’s where the FjordPhyto program comes in. They’re enlisting the help of tourists, who collect samples that help scientists look at how these plankton might be shaping the entire ocean’s ecosystem.

This kind of community science is pretty cool, right? If you’re curious about more of these citizen science projects or you’re itching to learn more about polar ecosystems, drop us a line at shortwave@npr.org. We’d love to hear your ideas for new topics! And don’t miss out on any of our episodes—find Short Wave on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.

To listen to Short Wave without any ads and show your support for our work at NPR, consider joining Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave. This episode was put together by Berly McCoy, with editing by Rebecca Ramirez, fact-checking by Tyler Jones, and audio engineering by Jimmy Keeley. Join us on this Antarctic plankton journey and discover the secret life of these tiny but mighty creatures!