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）支持实地研究（即，采样、实验研究和长期监测站网络），在麦克默多干旱山谷（MDV）有五个夏季营地位于整个泰勒谷。气候和河流监测网络是30多年前开始的，以支持个别科学项目。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保养。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主干的数据记录器，已经过时。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），需要改进远程采集基础设施，以克服现场存在的差距。国家科学基金会支持的南极洲研究的最近十年战略愿景呼吁进行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开发出来，以支持在这种恶劣环境中扩大生物研究-技术将使研究人员能够在MDV中工作，以更好地限制碳循环以及溪流，护城河（每年夏天融化的永久冰层覆盖的湖泊边缘）和湖泊中的新陈代谢（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）全年改进远程数据采集，从而建立能力，加强MDV中的生物监测和发现。（数据记录器，遥测），以克服在南极洲东部的麦克默多干谷（MDV）现场存在的差距。这一目标也直接响应了国家科学基金会最近在南极洲研究的十年战略愿景，该愿景建议寻求机会，更好地协调和战略性地增强现有的陆地观测网络。新的强大的化学/生物传感器现在能够支持在这种恶劣环境中扩大生物研究，从而更好地限制溪流，护城河（每年夏天融化的永久冰层覆盖的湖泊边缘）和湖泊中的碳循环和新陈代谢。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善全年的远程数据采集来加强基础生物研究，从而建设能力，加强对MDV的生物监测和发现。拟议的基础设施将提供来自这一难以到达地区的生物相关数据，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。高频数据将以近实时的方式传输，并通过基于网络的交互式数据可视化仪表板立即向公众开放。所有数据都将通过环境数据倡议储存库以及南极特定数据储存库（USAP数据中心，南极主目录）免费提供。将制作与四个监测网络相关的短期教育虚拟实地考察外联视频，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（例如，YouTube）。外展视频，沿着来自MDV的生物、气候和水文数据的实时仪表板，也将在麦默多站和其他地方的壁挂式高清屏幕上显示。一名REU学生和一些研究生将在这个项目的过程中得到指导和培训。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

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that underpins this infrastructure, especially the dataloggers that make up the backbone of these sensor networks, is outdated.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.