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)支持麦克默多干旱河谷(MDV)的实地研究(即采样、实验研究和长期监测站网络)，泰勒山谷有五个仅限夏季的营地。气候和河流监测网络成立于30多年前，旨在支持个别科学项目。1993年，麦克默多长期生态研究(MCM LTER)项目成立，并在国家科学基金会(NSF)的直接支持下，接管了这些先前存在的监测网络的维护和维护。今天，支撑这一基础设施的许多技术，特别是构成这些传感器网络主干的数据记录器，已经过时。此外，研究人员无法在南半球夏季之外接触到MDV(有时也是由于新冠肺炎等不可预见的复杂情况)，因此需要改进远程采集基础设施，以弥补现场存在的差距。最近，NSF支持的南极洲研究的十年战略愿景呼吁更多的自动化现场测量。新的、坚固耐用的化学和生物传感器已经开发出来，以支持在这种恶劣环境中扩大生物研究-这项技术将使MDV中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盖湖泊的边缘)和湖泊的碳循环以及新陈代谢(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，3)全年改善远程数据采集，从而建设能力，以加强对MDV的生物监测和发现。该项目将扩大数据采集基础设施(数据记录器、遥测)，以克服南极东部麦克默多干谷(MDV)现场存在的缺口。这一目标也直接响应了最近对南极洲国家科学基金会研究的十年战略愿景，其中建议寻求机会，更好地协调和战略性地扩大现有的陆地观测网络。新的坚固耐用的化学/生物传感器现在能够在这种恶劣的环境中支持扩大的生物研究，从而能够更好地限制溪流、护城河(每年夏天融化的永久冰盖湖泊的边缘)和湖泊中的碳循环和新陈代谢。因此，他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，从而建设能力，以加强MDV的生物监测和发现。拟议的基础设施将从这一难以到达的区域提供与生物相关的数据，供其他人在研究提案和论文中使用，进行初步研究，和/或数据合成工作。高频数据将近乎实时地传输，并通过基于Web的交互式数据可视化仪表板立即向公众显示。所有数据将通过环境数据倡议(EDI)储存库以及南极专用数据储存库(USAP数据中心、南极总目录)免费提供。将制作与四个监测网络中的每一个相关的教育虚拟实地考察短片，并通过OBFS虚拟实地项目、MCM LTER网站和特定项目的社交媒体账户(如YouTube)向公众提供。外展视频，以及来自MDV的生物、气候和水文数据的实时仪表盘，也将在麦克默多站和其他地方的壁挂式高清晰度屏幕上播放(由该项目实现)。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NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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that underpins this infrastructure, especially the dataloggers that make up the backbone of these sensor networks, is outdated.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.