The primary objective of the INTPART AKMA (Advancing Knowledge on Methane in the Arctic) is to develop a long-term, multidisciplinary education and research collaboration on Arctic methane sources, processes, ecosystems and geological history to provide exceptional training for the next generation of experts in Arctic marine sciences and greenhouse gas phenomena.
The AKMA project supports education and research collaboration between the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) USA, and many other international universities and research centres across the world, from South America, Central Asia, Africa and Europe.
We aim to advance collective knowledge about methane in the ocean in Arctic regions particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
The AKMA project has produced noteworthy outcomes and impacts, influencing project participants, target groups, and users. It not only advanced scientific knowledge but also initiated positive changes in competency, interdisciplinarity, practice, and policy.
INTERDISCIPLINARY AND INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS
-Interdisciplinary Collaboration: the project has successfully fostered increased collaboration among researchers from diverse disciplines. This has led to a more comprehensive understanding of methane dynamics in the Arctic region, combining expertise from geology, climatology, geophysics, law of the sea, art, sociology, health and biology
-Strengthened international networks: AKMA started as a collaboration between UiT, Norway and WHOI, USA. The project expanded to include scientists and educators worldwide, from South America, Central Asia, Africa and Europe. Collaborations worldwide facilitated the exchange of knowledge and data, enriching the project's findings (see results in Cristin)
-Global alliance: AKMA3 cruise hosted the launch of the Ocean Census programme, a global alliance on a mission to accelerate the discovery and protection of ocean life
POLICY
-Protection of marine environments: AKMA data are used to consider “cold seeps” in the OSPAR list for marine environment protection after an initiative of the Norwegian Environmental Agency
-Insights with direct implications for policy formulation: The AKMA team's research directly contributed to policy formulation, focusing on ocean protection and UN SDG 14. Collaborations with the Faculty of Law at UiT resulted in proposed projects (Horizon 2020, MSCA 2023, DAAD 2023, UArctic 2023-2024, WaterHUB to Ocean Decade Call) and co-authored publications emphasizing practical contributions
EDUCATION
-Improved competency in methane research: the project participants have increased their competencies related to methane research in the Arctic. This included the development of advanced methodologies and data analysis techniques (55 publications)
-Secondary education: AKMA scientists engaged with school teachers and pupils (from kindergarten to grade 12th), developing targeted school activities and promoting geosciences into school curricula
-New University level course: AKMA is the base of a new course under development, “Extreme Environments”, also supported by iEarth, Center for Integrated Earth Science Education
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
-AKMA members conducted dissemination activities globally, engaging with schools, local communities and indigenous in Norway, Brazil, Tanzania, Iran, Botswana, Singapore, Spain, Portugal, Italy and France
-The project utilized social media platforms and collaborated with artists in exhibitions, reaching wider audiences and making scientists' work visible
PROPOSAL SPARKED
-Several proposals based on AKMA received grants, including Swiss National Science Foundation, Italian PRIN, EU European Marine Board, Erasmus+, UArctic, FCT, DAAD
The INTPART AKMA (Advancing Knowledge on Methane in the Arctic) project will support education and research collaboration between the Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate (CAGE), at the Department of Geosciences, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA. With a teaching oceanographic cruise and an intensive course, we will engage graduate students from Norway, USA and other countries in exploring science questions related to Arctic Ocean microbe communities related to the release of the greenhouse gas methane from the seafloor. Established students will participate in a two-weeks teaching cruise when they will receive instruction during transit to the sampling sites, and be active members of the scientific party, being involved in data collection and all other activities at sea. Also, AKMA will develop an intensive two-week course centered on Arctic cold-adapted microorganisms, the global methane cycle, and oceanographic processes to give a different set of students in depth knowledge about theory and methodology. To sustain this effort beyond the duration of the project, we assure that the course will continue at both MSc and PhD levels beyond 2022 and be included in the UiT course catalogues, offered every second year. This application is affiliated with CAGE (http://cage.uit.no), a SFF Centre of Excellence, conducting world-class research in the Norwegian Arctic, primarily in the field of gas hydrate and affiliated studies. The INTPART program will leverage involvement of CAGE partners, such as researchers from the Faculty of Science and Technology and the Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics at UiT-The Arctic University of Norway.