Polar STEAM Team

What can tiny bones, buried plants, and shifting landscapes reveal about human survival in Alaska?

Archaeologist Bree Doering and educator Tom Turner are joining us live from the field as they explore the traditional relationships Alaska Native communities built with their environment.

Tune in June 16, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm PT to hear how the team studies animal remains, plant materials, and environmental records to understand how people adapted over millennia.

Link in bio!

What happens when a research vessel gets stuck in sea ice on an Antarctic voyage? This is exactly the situation that artist Kyra Sims found herself in during her time on the R/V Sikuliaq!

Read about how the team adapted and overcame this challenge and about Kyra's experiences on the ship in Kyra's new blog post "Night Ramblings: a Musician in the Antarctic". Link in bio!

The oceanography community is a small world - collaboration, guidance, brainstorming, and troubleshooting, are key to the connections they have built that allow them to advance the scientific mission on the ship while also supporting each others science.

Educator Andi Twiss joined Researcher Deborah Steinberg and team on the R/V Roger Revelle and was honored to be a part of this joy filled community. Learn more about her experience by reading her blog post "Collaboration and Cooperation in Competitive Spaces: Joy, Resilience, and Effort". Link in bio.

Educator applications for virtual and field based collaborations are now open! Don’t miss an opportunity to bring polar science to your learners! To submit your application, go to polarsteam.info/application/.

Applications can also be accessed via the Linktree in our bio. Applications close July 15.

The Antarctic Artist and Writer applications are open! To submit your application go to polarsteam.info/application/.

Application can also be access via the Linktree in our bio.

Don't miss your opportunity to collaborate with a polar researcher in Antarctica to bring the scientific endeavors of this region to the public!

"As an artist embedded in this expedition with 17 scientists, the inspiration hasn’t necessarily been coming from the objective truth of their work, but from their profound drive, the obsession within the specificity of their individual interests and the emotional truth found in the science they are embarking on." Artist Fellow Rebecca Adorno Davila writes in her recent blog post detailing her experience of one day on board a research vessel navigating the Drake Passage.

Rebecca describes (and shares video and audio of) the many sounds, sights and experiences that she is drawing inspiration from while on board the vessel. Learn more by reading her blog post "An Art Fellow’s Field Note from March 23rd, 2026"! Link in bio.

Are you a working artist, writer, or creative interested in collaborating with an Antarctic research team?

Join us for an informational session on April 30th at 2pm PST!

Session will include an overview of the program, insights into our past researcher-artist collaborations, and logistics considerations.

You can also submit your questions to have them answered live!

Visit the linktree in our bio to learn more.

In Antarctica, data came in many forms: numbers, organisms, and sound. During an NSF‑funded research cruise, musician Kyra Sims joined plankton ecologist Tricia Thibodeau and her team aboard the R/V Sikuliaq.

Read Tricia's reflection on interdisciplinary collaboration, the parallels between art and science, and how slowing down to listen changed the way she experienced her work in her blog post "The Intersection of Art and Science from a Researcher's Perspective". Link in bio.

From icy dive sites to the search for cancer‑fighting compounds, Antarctica has stories to tell and you can help shape the conversation.

Tomorrow we’ll be live with artist Rebecca Adorno Davila and scientist Dr. Alison Murray (Desert Research Institute) as they answer your questions from their time aboard the R/V Sikuliaq.

Send your questions now or ask them during the livestream!

Tuesday, March 24, 10:00–10:45 a.m. PT

Link in bio for more information and to watch the livestream.

Photo description: Rebecca Adorno Davila's picture of the R/V Sikuliaq's main deck as it sailed through the Lemaire Channel.