Plankton Base grew out of ten years of Antarctic and Arctic fieldwork. Below is a brief tour of what that science has shown — followed by the peer-reviewed papers behind each finding.
Each of these findings comes from the peer-reviewed studies listed further down the page.
During an exceptional bloom on the western Antarctic Peninsula, molecular sequencing revealed that the naked dinoflagellates driving it belong to a previously undescribed species in the Gymnodinium group — a genuinely new organism on the tree of life.
Most Antarctic phytoplankton research happens offshore from research vessels or select research stations. Sampling from expedition ships gives us a more detailed picture of what actually blooms in the nearshore fjords where glaciers meet the sea — and how those communities shift through the season.
A preliminary evaluation of the FjordPhyto project found that giving travellers a hands-on role in Antarctic research deepened their sense of connection to the polar environment and made the science more meaningful — for visitors, expedition staff, and the research team alike.
Travelers on expedition vessels — trained and supported by scientists on board — can generate peer-review-quality oceanographic data at a scale no single research cruise could. This is the framework Plankton Base carries forward.
Every peer-reviewed paper produced through the FjordPhyto program that Plankton Base carries forward. Key studies are marked with a colored tag.