::edit:: Thank you all for your questions! It was such fun getting to talk to you and we look forward to answering more in the future! Remember to check out APECS’ website (http://www.apecs.is/) and join for free if you’re interested in getting into Polar science. You can also find contact information for some of the participants below and reach out to them individually. ::edit:: Keep those questions coming! The beauty of scientists in multiple time zones are that someone will likely be around to check. We’ll continue answering through at least 11am (EDT) tomorrow when the next AMA begins. If you want to hear more about APECS’ members research, you can also check out the #TweetYourThesis event on Twitter this Thursday (Sept., 24) starting at midnight GMT! Thank you so much for your interest in our Polar passion! The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is here to promote Polar Week! What is that? There are two International Polar Weeks each year – one in March and one in September – which coincide with the equinoxes, the only time when everywhere on Earth has 12 hours of daylight. Polar Week is a time to celebrate how the beauty and diversity of the Polar Regions and the amazing research that happens there! This AMA is just one of many events being held world-wide to connect and educate the public about all things polar. See a full calendar of events here: http://www.apecs.is/outreach/international-polar-week/upcoming-polar-week.html APECS is an international and interdisciplinary organization for undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, early faculty members, educators, and others with interests in Earth’s Polar Regions (Antarctica and the Arctic) as well as the wider cryosphere. Our goals include creating opportunities for the development of innovative, international, and interdisciplinary collaborations among current early career polar researchers as well as recruiting, retaining, and promoting the next generation of polar enthusiasts. Learn more here: http://www.apecs.is APECS members participating in this AMA are early-career polar scientists in a variety of research areas with experience working in the polar regions in remote field locations and in some native communities, studying everything from sea-ice interactions to charismatic animals like penguins. We will be answering questions related to our research, what it’s like to work in the polar regions, or even how to get into polar research. Learn more about and join APECS for free here: http://www.apecs.is/get-involved/join-apecs.html Participants: The USA Team: Alice Bradley: PhD student researching sea ice ocean - atmosphere interactions in environments with partial sea ice cover using unmanned aircraft as a sensing platform. Website. Alex Thornton: Master’s student researching the ecology of Pacific walrus and oceanography in response to environmental change. Website. Olivia Lee: Postdoctoral researching using a combination of remote sensing and community observation data to understand how marine mammals adapt to changing ice conditions. Peter Peterson: Postdoctoral researcher of Arctic atmospheric chemistry, specifically how changing Arctic sea ice cover will influence the fate of atmospheric pollutants in the Arctic. Casey Youngflesh: PhD student researching how penguins are responding to rapid environmental change in the Antarctic. Website. Brit Meyers: Master’s graduate in Marine Affairs researching how policy and science yield positive outcomes for people and the environment. The UK Team: TJ Young: PhD student using ice-penetrating radar to study how glaciers flow and deform. Website. Sammie Buzzard: Mathematician looking at how lakes form on Antarctic ice shelves. Website. Julia Feuer-Cotter: Geographer with an interest in smellscapes and the realities and imagination of violent experiences in Alaska’s oil industry. Website Laura Hobbs: PhD student studying the behaviour of Arctic zooplankton during the Polar Night. We will be here throughout the day to answer your questions, Ask us Anything!
