FSML: Minding the Gap - Improving Year-Round Data Collection to Support Continued and Expanded Biological Research in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica

美国南极计划（USAP）在麦克默多干谷（mdv）支持实地研究（即取样、实验研究和长期监测站网络），在泰勒谷设有五个仅供夏季使用的营地。气候和河流监测网络于30多年前启动，以支持个人科学项目。1993年，麦克默多长期生态研究（MCM LTER）项目成立，并在美国国家科学基金会（NSF）的直接支持下，接管了这些原有监测网络的维护和保养工作。如今，支撑这一基础设施的许多技术，尤其是构成这些传感器网络骨干的数据记录器，都已经过时了。此外，研究人员在南方夏季之外无法访问mdv（有时也是由于Covid-19等不可预见的并发症），因此需要改进远程采集基础设施，以克服现场存在的差距。美国国家科学基金会支持的南极研究最近的十年战略愿景要求更多的自动化实地测量。新的、强大的化学和生物传感器已经被开发出来，以支持在这种恶劣环境下扩大生物研究——这项技术将使在中纬度地区工作的研究人员能够更好地限制溪流、护城河（每年夏天融化的永久冰雪覆盖的湖泊的边缘）和湖泊中的碳循环以及代谢（总初级生产力和生态系统呼吸）。该项目将通过以下方式加强基础生物学研究：1)升级数据采集基础设施，2)增加新的传感器仪器，以及3)改善全年远程数据采集，从而建立加强南极干谷生物监测和发现的能力。该项目将扩大数据采集基础设施（数据记录器、遥测），以克服南极洲东部麦克默多干谷（mdv）现场存在的差距。这一目标也直接回应了美国国家科学基金会最近在南极洲研究的十年战略愿景，该愿景建议寻求更好地协调和战略性地扩大现有陆地观测网络的机会。新的强大的化学/生物传感器现在能够在这种恶劣的环境中支持扩展的生物研究，从而更好地约束溪流、护城河（每年夏天融化的永久冰雪覆盖的湖泊的边缘）和湖泊中的碳循环和代谢。因此，它们将通过升级数据采集基础设施、增加新的传感器仪器和改进全年远程数据采集来加强基础生物学研究，从而建设加强中纬度发展地区生物监测和发现的能力。拟议的基础设施将提供来自这一难以到达区域的生物学相关数据，供其他人在研究提案和论文中使用，进行初步研究和/或数据综合工作。高频数据将以接近实时的方式传输，并通过基于web的交互式数据可视化仪表板立即向公众展示。所有数据将通过环境数据倡议（EDI）存储库以及南极特定数据存储库（USAP数据中心，南极主目录）免费提供。将制作与四个监测网络中的每一个有关的短期教育虚拟实地考察外展视频，并通过OBFS虚拟实地项目、MCM LTER网站和项目特定的社会媒体帐户（例如YouTube）向公众提供。外展视频，以及mdv的生物、气候和水文数据的实时仪表板，也将在麦克默多站和其他地方的壁挂式高清屏幕上显示（由该项目启用）。一名REU学生和一些研究生将在这个项目的过程中接受指导和培训。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The United States Antarctic Program (USAP) supports field research (i.e., sampling, experimental studies, and networks of long-term monitoring stations) in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs) with five summer-only camps located throughout Taylor Valley. The Climate and Stream Monitoring Networks were started more than 30 years ago to support individual science projects. In 1993, the McMurdo Long-Term Ecological Research (MCM LTER) project was established and, with direct support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), took over maintenance and upkeep of these pre-existing monitoring networks. Today, much of the technology that underpins this infrastructure, especially the dataloggers that make up the backbone of these sensor networks, is outdated. Moreover, the MDVs are inaccessible by researchers outside of the austral summer (and also sometimes as a result of unforeseen complications like Covid-19), necessitating improvements in remote acquisition infrastructure to overcome the gap in onsite presence. A recent decadal strategic vision for NSF-supported research in Antarctica called for more automated field measurements. New, robust chemical and biological sensors have been developed to support expanded biological research in this harsh environment – technology that would enable researchers working in the MDVs to better constrain the carbon cycle as well as metabolism (gross primary productivity and ecosystem respiration) in streams, moats (edges of the permanently ice-covered lakes that melt out each summer), and lakes. The project will enhance fundamental biological research by: 1) upgrading data acquisition infrastructure, 2) adding new sensor instrumentation, and 3) improving remote data acquisition year-round, thereby building capacity to enhance biological monitoring and discovery in the MDVsThe project will expand data acquisition infrastructure (dataloggers, telemetry) to overcome the gap in onsite presence in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDVs) of east Antarctica. This aim also directly responds to the recent decadal strategic vision for NSF research in Antarctica, which recommends pursuit of opportunities for better coordinating and strategically augmenting existing terrestrial observation networks. New robust chemical/biological sensors are now able to support expanded biological research in this harsh environment, enabling better constraint of the carbon cycle and metabolism in streams, moats (edges of our permanently ice-covered lakes that melt out each summer), and lakes. Consequently, they will enhance fundamental biological research by upgrading data acquisition infrastructure, adding new sensor instrumentation, and improving remote data acquisition year-round, thereby building capacity to enhance biological monitoring and discovery in the MDVs. The proposed infrastructure will provide biologically-relevant data from this difficult to reach area, to be used by others in research proposals and papers, conducting primary research, and/or data synthesis efforts. High-frequency data will be streamed in near real-time, and immediately visible to the public via interactive web-based data visualization dashboards. All data will be freely available via the Environmental Data Initiative (EDI) Repository as well as Antarctic specific data repositories (USAP Data Center, Antarctic Master Directory). Short educational virtual field trip outreach videos associated with each of the four monitoring networks will be produced and made publicly available through the OBFS Virtual Field project, the MCM LTER website, and project-specific social media accounts (e.g., YouTube). Outreach videos, along with real-time dashboards of biological, climatological, and hydrological data from the MDVs, will also be shown on wall-mounted high-definition screens (enabled by this project) in McMurdo Station and elsewhere. An REU student and a number of graduate students will be mentored and trained over the course of this project.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.