Field Notes: December 2024

Class of 2024

Luiz Rocha and team discovers new fish species in the Maldives

Ichthyologist and EC50 2024 honoree, Luiz Rocha, and his team have discovered a new species of damselfish in the deep-sea coral ecosystems of the Maldives. Named Chromis abadhah, this blue fish is found in depths of 95-110 meters in the mesophotic zone, where there is little sunlight, and inhabits areas with small crevices and caves near large populations of sea sponges. The discovery highlights the unique biodiversity of mesophotic reef ecosystems and emphasizes the need for protection of these poorly studied deep-sea habitats, which, contrary to previous assumptions, are impacted by human activities such as fishing lines, nets, and coral bleaching.

Juan Pablo Culasso’s bioacoustic projects and recording across Latin America

This year, Juan Pablo Culasso has traveled extensively across Latin America for bioacoustic projects. In San José del Cabo, Mexico, he held workshops on sound, nature, and accessible tourism for blind children and students. He also recorded humpback whales in marine ecosystems without human-made noise interference for the first time.

In Colombia, Juan Pablo collaborated with the El Bosque y la Niebla Foundation at their Natural Reserve La Ilusión to capture soundscapes from the fragmented cloud forest ecosystem in the Eastern Andes. These recordings aid biodiversity conservation and help make trails in the reserve accessible for blind individuals, promoting inclusive experiences in nature. He reflects, “This initiative has been a meaningful way to positively impact my community by fostering inclusivity in rural and natural spaces.”

Juan Pablo also launched two auditory projects: The first, Sonidos del Cerrado, highlights the fragile Cerrado ecosystem, which was devastated by fire shortly after recording, altering its soundscape permanently. The second project, Aves en Armonía (Birds in Harmony), features educational bird sound recordings narrated in Guarani, celebrating both avian ecology and the Guarani language.

Ben Mirin’s songbird conservation work in Indonesia

Having successfully defended his Ph.D. at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Dr. Ben Mirin is continuing his work on songbird conservation in Southeast Asia and beyond. His team in Indonesia recently published their first magazine story in addition to a string of academic papers, and their exhibition The Price of Beauty most recently visited Central Java for a series of events with the IUCN. Ben and his teams are on a mission to make conservation more inclusive with creativity, and hope to continue publishing their grassroots media to inspire behavior change, foster coexistence, and plant the seeds of conservation in the common ground nature provides.

Britney Schmidt’s work on Icefin and the launch of Europa Clipper

Britney Schmidt has had a busy year; looking back at 2024, she reflects on two exciting developments in her work as an astrobiologist and polar oceanographer:

The Europa Clipper is the first mission designed to conduct a detailed study of Jupiter’s moon Europa. “On October 14, we launched Europa Clipper out on its way to Jupiter. On the way to the launch, we dodged a hurricane and tornadoes and technical complications, so it’s beyond a relief to have the spacecraft on its way.  I started as a graduate student and worked through my postdoc to help develop the mission concepts that then morphed into the Europa Clipper mission, so to now see the spacecraft leave Earth in spectacular fashion along with the science team and my current and former students has been a dream come true. The spacecraft will spend the next 6 years traveling the solar system, entering Jupiter’s orbit in April of 2030.  I’m a member of the science team and co-investigator on REASON – the ice penetrating radar – and I am happy to share that the instrument booms successfully opened and we have a functioning instrument. Over the next months and years, the spacecraft team will continue to test and work with the instruments across the spacecraft, including tests as we do a gravity assist at Mars — so stay tuned!”

Britney has also been working on Icefin, her team’s small, long-range, deep-water, under-ice, robotic oceanographer (pictured below).“Closer to home, the Icefin team and I are preparing for a 7-week field campaign in northern Greenland for February. We’ve been building new instruments and upgrading the Icefin robots for their exciting work mapping the under-ice environment in Wolstenholme Fjord. Operating on the edge of wintertime will be a challenging and exciting opportunity, and we’re hoping to find, map, and perhaps swim into the outflow channels from below the three glaciers entering the fjord for the first time. I look forward to being able to talk to folks right after the season ends at ECAD when we’ll hopefully have new results from my personal paradise, the ocean under the ice.”

Munazza Alam’s year highlights

“As an observational astronomer, I am fortunate to be working with data from the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes, as well as from large ground-based telescopes. My highlight of the year was visiting the summit of Mauna Kea again and touring Keck Observatory [in Hawai’i] – which I hadn’t done since I was an undergrad!” – Munazza Alam, Class of 2024

Stephan Crawford and the ClimateMusic Project premiere new performances for climate action

Following the successful premiere of Voice of the Animals featuring Scarlet Rivera at the Explorers Club to close out Climate Week, EC50 2024 member, Stephan Crawford and The ClimateMusic Project capped a very busy fall with a live performance of Climate at the University of California at Davis in December. Next up is the premiere of a new violin concerto, On the Brink, to be performed by the South Dakota Symphony on January 25th, and a new music project on climate solutions with a young, up-and-coming L.A-based artist, Raine Stern. The ClimateMusic Project offers the broad public an intuitive, visceral way to learn about the climate emergency, and facilitates active engagement on climate action.  Its science-informed performances and content fill an important gap in publicly accessible information on climate.

Aidyl Gonzalez-Serricchio’s field work, STEAM Superheroes and Explorer Cubs

Looking back at 2024, Aidyl shares, “I’m honored to have won a PONANT Science Grant to study climate change’s impact on soil and the microbiome. My research will focus on Arctic soil health, microbial ecosystems, and nematode populations, contributing to global environmental conservation efforts.  Along with research, I’m collaborating with Indigenous Arctic communities to integrate their ecological knowledge, ensuring our findings are inclusive and culturally respectful.

My nonprofit is launching STEAM Superheroes, a comic book featuring real scientists, technologists, and engineers to inspire the next generation of innovators. We love to include EC members in our comic book and headquarters!

And in September, I led a Saturday Explorer Cubs morning program for kids at EC headquarters, where they participated in soil citizen science as young scientists. They gained real-world skills to assess soil health and agency to address climate change.” – Aidyl Gonzalez-Serricchio

Class of 2023

David Borish and collaborators launch ‘Nanuk Narratives’ series

This year, David Borish, Class of 2023, has been working with Inuit communities across Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, and Greenland to co-create an Inuit-led series of short documentary films that explores the deep and enduring relationship among Inuit and the polar bears in the Davis Strait subpopulation range. The series highlights a diversity of lived experiences with polar bears, including long-time polar bear hunters, Elders, cooks, and youth, with the aim to amplify the wisdom of traditional stewardship and its vital role in guiding contemporary wildlife conservation efforts. Among collaborators, David partnered with 2022 member and filmmaker, Ikimaliq Pikilaq.  The team launched the series Nanuk Narratives earlier this month, and it can be found online here.

Taira Malaney’s feature documentary, Turtle Walker, has its world premiere

Taira Malaney’s debut feature documentary Turtle Walker had its World Premiere at DOC NYC Film Festival in New York City, followed by an sold out exclusive special free screening at the Explorers Club headquarters in late November! Keep an eye out for Turtle Walker coming to a festival near you.

About the film: In the late 1970s, Satish Bhaskar embarked on an epic journey along India’s coastlines and the spectacular Andaman and Nicobar islands, where he uncovered the vital nesting beaches of sea turtles. During his death-defying quest, he unravels mysteries surrounding these enigmatic ocean creatures – and sets out to save them from extinction. After a devastating tsunami strikes in 2004, Bhaskar grapples with a pressing question: What happens to sea turtles when their nesting beaches disappear?

Joe Cutler leads biodiversity river surveys in Zambia and Angola

In June 2024, Joe Cutler, EC50 Class of 2023, led a team of scientists and explorers on a 1650 km (~ 1025 miles) source to confluence transect of the Kafue river in Zambia. It was the first descent of the Kafue River, which is the largest river entirely within Zambia’s borders. Over 81 days, the team portaged and paddled countless rapids, dodged 5 meter crocodiles and evaded ~2,000 hippos, to survey fish diversity, bird diversity, water quality, mammals, human impacts on the system including fishing pressure, mining, deforestation and other activities that take place along the Kafue River. 

Following the Kafue survey, Joe and his team embarked on a 41 day, 750 km paddle descent of Angola’s Kwanza River, from source to the hydropower dam at Capanda. The river has been paddled before, but the team was the first to survey it scientifically, and surveyed 98 sites by the end of August.

Carrie Dolan and Tom Martienssen collaborate to document immunization project

Dr. Carrie Dolan, Class of 2023, continues to lead The Ignite Global Health Research Lab immunization initiative, with the focus on improving child immunization rates in Narok County, Kenya. The project aims to reduce vaccine-preventable child deaths by identifying factors affecting vaccination coverage at Community Health Partner clinics. The approach integrates qualitative and quantitative methods, including semi-structured interviews and retrospective reviews of clinical immunization databases. Our work focuses on fostering local capacity for data-driven health interventions.

This summer, Tom Martienssen, filmmaker and EC50 2022 member, visited the project to document the immunization initiative.

Michel André develops bioacoustic project to monitor biodiversity in the Amazon

The Amazon forest and its biodiversity is being lost at alarming rates, without signs of a positive change in this scenario. In this context, being able to monitor species is crucial, but current methods are too slow to keep up with the urgent need. In response to this global issue, Michel André has created Project Providence, an international collaboration between The Sense of Silence Foundation and the Mamirauá Institute (Amazonas, Brazil), with the objective of creating a solution that can monitor biodiversity in the Amazon in real-time. The result is a technology called Providence Nodes. Providence nodes use automated Artificial Intelligence analysis to identify species and calculate acoustic diversity (diversity of sounds) in real-time, and send data remotely. This technology allows large-scale, long-term, Amazon-wide monitoring of biodiversity at an unprecedented speed. In combination with environmental data from drones and satellite imagery this technology can provide information useful for biodiversity inventories, monitor target species and detect trends in their presence, assess abiotic environmental characteristics and fragile habitats structure and quality, generate insights into ecosystem health, species ecology and behavior, identify priority areas for conservation and contribute to protect indigenous territories. Their last development is the DROP (Deep-Rainforest Operation Platform), a tool that allows remote implementation of providence technology using drones (in trees and in water), and collection of biological data for eDNA analysis.  

Beth Allgood investigates relocation’s effect on well-being in Rwanda

Beth Allgood, EC50 2023, in partnership with the local Rwandan organization Red Rocks Initiative for Sustainable Development, conducted a well-being survey among communities near Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, who are facing relocation due to the park’s expansion. This survey aims to establish a baseline understanding of community well-being to inform strategies that support both conservation efforts and the livelihoods and life satisfaction of local residents. The data collection phase has been completed, and Beth is currently analyzing the results, with plans to present the findings to our partners and the community by the end of December.

Gregg Treinish launch biodiversity citizen science project in California

Gregg Treinish, EC50 2023, and founder of the non-profit Adventure Scientists, recently launched a new project in California to where volunteers will visit 5000 locations across the state to collect insect and eDNA soil specimens to the state’s insects and soil biodiversity.

California is one of our planet’s 36 global biodiversity hotspots— regions that teem with unique life but face significant threats. As climate change, wildfires, and other forces rapidly reshape ecosystems, detailed records of plants, fungi, and animals are critical to shaping conservation strategies and safeguarding the state’s natural heritage.

Gregg will also give a public lecture at the Explorers Club Headquarters on January 6, 2025 focused on his work on citizen science projects. Find more information and tickets here!

Nick Ovenden and his team pioneer sustainable forest harvesting and cultural food forests in Amazonian Ecuador 

Nick Ovenden and YAKUM Team in Ecuador have been learning to harvest wild forest products in indigenous Amazonian forests as a climate-friendly future supply of food. They have planted 80 hectares of “Cultural Food Forests” in Siekopai, Kofan and Kichwa territories across Amazonian Ecuador in 2024, presented their work to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) and received local organizations IKIAM university, La Clinica Ambiental and Ecociencia at their Nursery Hub.

Nick and the team attended an advanced tree climbing course organised by Amisacho and delivered by Noel Rodriguez of Canopy Watch, with Kichwa and Siekopai partners, to learn together how to access wild forest nuts and fruits in the standing forests canopy, whilst developing carbon and biodiversity credits to generate income for communities conserving forests. Once forest products are harvested, there is a whole galaxy of products that can be made, and the YAKUM team and community women attended a workshop in Siekopai territory to make 10 different products from wild Kahai nuts – oil, flour, toasting the nuts, nut milk and even “peanut butter”. Nick is partnering with fellow Explorer, edible insect chef and now YAKUM Ambassador Joseph Yoon to bring YAKUM to the world.

Class of 2022

Emily Hazelwood & Amber Sparks survey sea stars on California’s offshore platforms

Emily Hazelwood & Amber Sparks, EC50 2022 members, completed a successful expedition to dive on California’s offshore oil and gas platforms Eureka, Ellen, and Eva to collect data on the health and composition of sea star populations on California’s offshore platforms.

They surveyed over 280 individuals, comprising 12 species. Platform Eva, the shallowest and closest to shore at approximately 60 ft in depth, exhibited the highest abundance, with over 170 individual sea stars observed. This data is critical as we further our understanding of the extent of sea star wasting disease off the west coast of the United States. Check out footage from the dives:

Brett Howell carried Flag #235 on expedition to Henderson Island in 2024

Brett Howell, EC50 2022, carried Explorers Club Flag #235 on expedition with Howell Conservation Fund to Henderson Island to complete an island cleanup initiated in 2019 (where Brett carried Flag #97) and extend efforts to mitigate oceanic plastic pollution. On this 2024 expedition, several innovative techniques for waste extraction, like parasailing and floating pontoons were used to overcome the coral reef barrier surrounding the island.  The scientific studies conducted on Henderson contributed crucial data that tracks how litter accumulates in the most remote places. The findings from this research contributed to ongoing studies on the effectiveness of remote island plastic recovery and recycling methods.

Natalie Schmitt developing wildlife DNA technology

Natalie Schmitt, Class of 2022, continues her work developing a wildlife DNA detection technology, through WildTechDNA, is building the first prototype, and WildTechDNA has developed tests for all the big cat species.

Natalie and her team are also developing a project with the Regional Innovation Network of Alberta, to work with Indigenous communities actively monitoring Caribou, and have them lead and guide the design of WildTechDNA technology for their use! “It would be a dream come true to see communities benefiting and contributing to conservation monitoring and leading these programs with our technology.” – Natalie

In addition to the work with WildTechDNA, Natalie is continuing her conservation work with a number of different upcoming projectsIn 2025, Natalie is planning expeditions in Nepal and she will be joining PONANT Antarctic voyages as an Explorers Club featured speaker to share her work with whales.

Andrés Ruzo’s work on the Boiling River Project

This November, Andrés Ruzo was awarded the Explorers Club’s Lowell Thomas Award at the Lowell Thomas Annual Dinner in Austin, Texas. He was awarded along with fellow EC50 member Sammy Ramsey, as well as Carole Baldwin and Ellen Pikitch. Congratulations to the awardees!

The Explorers Club recently launched its inaugural Teaching Fellowship for 2025, where two selected teachers will be traveling to Peruvian Amazon with Andrés and the Boiling River Project in summer 2025, for an immersive expedition where they will work alongside local and international scientists, conservationists and other professionals from various fields and serve as education ambassadors for the Explorers Club upon their return. “We hope that it is the first step in a major movement to empower educators in science and Exploration.” – Andrés Ruzo.

Andrés reflects “Sadly, this has been a brutal year for the Amazon. The fires have been horrible– and the corruption, greed, and organized crime behind them is even more sinister. We are working hard to advocate for the Boiling River area and still actively working with our local collaborators.” 

On the academic front, a series of important studies came out, led by Andrés’s ecology collaborators from the University of Miami, showing that the Boiling River’s jungle is the hottest naturally occurring Amazonian microclimate and it presents a perfect “natural laboratory,” giving them a window into the future of what a post-climate change impacted Amazonia could look like.

Cassandra Brooks is building a framework for international Marine Protected Areas

Cassandra Brooks, Class of 2022, is working to build a coordinated framework for research and monitoring in large-scale international marine protected areas with the The Ross Sea region as a model system.

Cassandra was recently appointed the Chief Officer of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research’s Standing Committee on the Antarctic Treaty System. In this position, she has the great responsibility of bringing forward independent science to inform decision making, management and conservation in Antarctica.

Cassandra was also a featured speaker with PONANT through the Explorers Club, and will be joining them again on expedition in 2025.

Manuel Jose Carpintero brings exploration to schools with “Little Explorers” project

Josie Iselin develops ocean literacy campaign

As co-director of Above/Below, EC50 member, Josie Iselin, has been developing an ocean literacy campaign centered around the web-based book titled: The Mysterious World of Bull Kelp, to raise awareness about kelp forests across the Northeastern Pacific region of the US. Their mission is to bring a broad coalition into the emerging movement of kelp forest recovery to help change policy, support restoration work, grow local blue economies, and inspire the next generation of ocean stewards. 

The site has recently been translated into Spanish, and has also expanded to include pages on shorebirds, seabirds, and salmon to explain the vital role bull kelp plays in supporting these species.

Class of 2021

Dawn Wright serves as Science Envoy for Ocean Sustainability

Dawn Wright, EC 50 inaugural class, was selected by the US State Department as a “Science Envoy for Ocean Sustainability” for 2024-2025, to “advance both science for diplomacy and diplomacy for science”. In October she was in the field in Cabo Verde, Africa meeting with government ministers,  universities, small businesses, and especially the non-profit Lantuna on sea turtle, shark, and seabird restoration, as well animal husbandry training for village women. Check out a full storymap with photos and maps here.

Mario Rigby reflects on learning from the Tuareg

Mario Rigby, EC50 2021, spent two and a half weeks living with the Tuareg nomadic tribes in the Sahara Desert near Djanet, Algeria. “The expedition aimed to immerse myself in their centuries-old traditions, understand their environmental stewardship practices, and document their way of life against the striking backdrop of the desert’s vast dunes and jagged rock formations.

The journey involved participating in daily desert life, from intricate tea ceremonies to navigating the challenging landscapes by camel. These experiences offered profound insights into their cultural resilience and adaptability in one of the world’s most extreme environments. I also documented their artistry, including their music and craftwork, which are deeply tied to their heritage and the harsh realities of their surroundings.

This expedition was not only an opportunity to learn about the Tuareg’s intimate relationship with their environment but also a chance to reflect on the parallels between their traditions and global efforts for sustainable living. The rich cultural exchange has inspired me to share their story with broader audiences, showcasing the lessons we can draw from their sustainable practices and community-oriented way of life.”

Paige West & John Aini work together on decolonizing conservation efforts

This year, Paige West, Class of 2021 and John Aini, Class of 2022, both contributed to the Expert Testimony reports that are being used in the Obligations of States in Respect to Climate Change case in front of the International Court of Justice in The Hague. This landmark case is focused on what high carbon emission states must pay states and peoples most impacted by climate change. Paige and John both worked with Blue Ocean Law to provide testimony about cultural, spiritual and ecological loss, for the case which is currently being argued.

Paige West and John Aini joined forces to give a joint distinguished lecture at the U of Hawai’i in March 2024 on Decolonizing Conservation in the Pacific, and look forward to giving additional joint lectures in 2025.

Ayana Elizabeth Johnson publishes What If We Get It Right?

EC50 2021 member, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is in love with climate solutions! This fall, she published a book, What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures –  mosaic of 20 interviews, 5 poems, 3 co-authored chapters, 2 artists’ new works, a note from her dad, and a quote from her mom. Ayana weaves together thinking from visionary farmers and financiers, architects and advocates, producers and policy wonks. 

Ayana continues to have forward-thinking conversations on climate and culture through her recently launched podcast, also called What If We Get It Right?

Susan Eaton is planning Sea Women Expedition for 2026

Geoscientist and EC50 2021 member, Susan Eaton is planning and co-leading the Sea Women Expedition to the Falklands, South Georgia, and Antarctica scheduled for 2026. Sea Women Expeditions (SWX) will assemble a team of 25 extraordinary explorers to travel to the Bottom of the World—the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, Elephant Island, the Western Antarctic Peninsula, and the Polar Circle, and will provide a platform for Indigenous and non-Indigenous women and non-binary, two-spirit, and gender-diverse explorers to develop leadership skills and gain ocean research experience in one of the harshest climates on Earth.