Arctic science to art

In the Canadian Arctic, science meets art in an innovative initiative fostering communication between early-career researchers and northern communities. The Arctic Science to Art contest is a visionary project by the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) Canada and the Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS) with funding support from ArcticNet. The contest was created to stimulate knowledge mobilization which, similar to science communication, interprets the technical methods and results of scientific research so that they are accessible to a wide audience across languages, cultures, and age groups. The program focuses on supporting interaction and engagement between arctic communities and researchers while promoting impactful science.

Early-career researchers (ECRs) working in northern Canada submit a summary of their research and a photo that captures their work. Winners are selected through criteria emphasizing impact and community-relevance. The winning researcher then collaborates with an established science communicator or designer to create a publicly accessible and engaging art piece, such as a multi-panel comic. Any text is translated into English, French, and at least one Indigenous language or regional dialect. The art is incorporated into a scientific conference-style poster and public engagement products, such as postcards, flyers, and even playing cards. The poster is given its debut at the ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting, and it and the other outreach materials are distributed in the communities for which the research has the greatest impact.

While applications have come from a variety of disciplines, marine topics have earned the limelight thus far. The 2023 winner, Myrah Graham, an MSc candidate from the Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland, and the 2022 winner, Spencer Weinstein, who recently finished her PhD at the University of Waterloo and is currently an Alaska Sea Grant State Fellow, worked with science communicators to translate their research on marine life into regionally relevant storytelling materials customized for the communities they work in.

Who lives on the bottom of the ocean?

Myrah’s research uses multibeam sonar and underwater cameras to create benthic habitat maps. Myrah and her team lower cameras to the bottom of coastal bays and fjords. Sometimes going as deep as 500m, bright lights illuminate these particular communities of organisms for the first time in history and allow researchers to identify and map the habitat. The resulting maps help identify biodiversity hotspots and guide decision-making. Local governments can use the maps to ensure appropriate management of these delicate seafloor communities and can provide harvesters and commercial fisheries with important information about benthic foods such as scallops and clams. Healthy benthic communities support healthy fish populations, providing important nursery grounds and nutrient cycling to higher trophic levels.

In Nunatsiavut (Newfoundland and Labrador), these benthic habitat maps will contribute to creating a marine protected area (MPA) adjacent to the Torngats National Park. The Nunatsiavut Marine Plan, Imappivut, (meaning “Our Oceans” in Inuttitut) is created by and for Inuit. In collaboration with the Nunatsiavut Government (NG), Myrah is mapping Ramah Bay, adjacent to the Ramah Quarries National Historic Site and the ancestral home of many local families.

In Nunavut, the community of Pangnirtung is directly in Pangnirtung Fjord, with a marina full of boats that regularly zip away for fishing and hunting trips. Here, fisheries and harvesting are a top priority; Baffin Fisheries and the hunters and trappers have vested interests in benthic foods such as scallops and urchins for subsistence and potential commercial fisheries. Locally-tailored benthic maps fulfill specific local needs.

Myrah partnered with Misha Donohoe, a Yukon-based artist with extensive experience in visual scientific communication and design. They produced a two-page comic called “Who Lives on the Bottom of the Ocean?” which has been produced in four languages – English, French, Inuttitut and Inuktitut – and will be shared with the communities of Nain, NL and Pangnirtung, NU.

Artwork by Misha Donohoe, based on the research of Myrah Graham, in English and Inuttitut (2023). 

In both these areas of Inuit Nunangat, one of the central objectives is to share findings with residents. Both regions hold deep and storied knowledge of their coasts that needs to be reflected in the communication of results, where data sharing also honours storytelling as a way of transmitting knowledge. Myrah has already done many class visits in Nunatsiavut and Pangnirtung but was missing a narrative and visual representation of the work to share and leave behind. The opportunity to communicate visually for all ages is exactly what the Arctic Scient to Art Contest provides, and Myrah has a well-developed plan to distribute the resulting comic at the schools during the next spring visits. The comic strip was created with discovery in mind, shining a light on these hidden heroes of the ocean.

Two fish in hot water

Spencer’s research at the University of Waterloo combines western science and traditional knowledge to assess char populations in the Coppermine River. The Coppermine River supports a subsistence char fishery for the community of Kugluktuk, Nunavut. As in the rest of the Canadian Arctic, the area is being impacted by a rapidly changing climate, and the community has noticed differences in the char populations returning from summer migration. The number and appearance of char have changed, and Spencer works to document and evaluate this diversity and possible impacts on the subsistence fishery. Knowledge of species diversity, as well as habitat and resource use, is critical for developing conservation and management plans that can be flexible in the face of climate-induced changes. Spencer partnered with Montreal-based artist Martin Patenaude Monette, an illustrator of scientific and socio-political content, to illustrate her work in the first offering of the contest. The resulting two-page comic, “Two Fish in Hot Water,” provides an eye-catching summary of the motivation and goals behind Spencer’s research, and is available in English, French, and Inuinnaqtun.

Spencer’s research project was developed in direct response to concerns voiced by fishers in Kugluktuk about the health of their subsistence fishery, so involving community members in as much of the research as possible and ensuring that the work is conducted in culturally respectful ways was central to the project goals. While in Kugluktuk, Spencer worked formally with fishers and elders, conducting interviews and catching and sampling char, and informally with youth who were curious about the project. Results from Spencer’s research indicate that contrary to what scientists had long believed, two species of chars are present in the Coppermine River, aligning with local knowledge. Working with a variety of community members helped Spencer realize the need for accessible science communication, motivating her to apply to the Arctic Science to Art contest. She has shared the resulting panels with residents of Kugluktuk, where it was well-received by community members. She also included the artwork in her thesis. The comic highlights the collaboration that is at the core of the research, and Spencer looks forward to continuing to share the comic as widely as possible.

Artwork by Martin Patenaude Monette, based on the research of Spencer Weinstein (2022).

The value of knowledge mobilization and visual storytelling

Knowledge mobilization is a vital piece of the research process in northern Canada, where community-based research and local priorities are at the center of research activities. Much like other forms of science communication, knowledge mobilization translates the technical aspects of scientific research into accessible and usable formats for broader use in communities. When done in the context of community-based research where community needs are the focus, knowledge mobilization takes on an even bigger role. Researchers must go beyond their understanding of science to maintain consistent knowledge exchange and ensure that results are understood by the community. Visual storytelling is a particularly potent strategy in northern contexts, where researchers are working across languages, cultures, and age groups. In communities where storytelling and art are central to traditional knowledge and maintaining culture, visual storytelling becomes a natural choice for scientists working to meet community needs. Spencer described the contest as “an opportunity to encourage community participation” in her research. Myrah plans to take communications further by expanding beyond the comic format into playing cards and other interactive materials.

Moving forward

Scientists working in northern Canada must consider knowledge mobilization to achieve meaningful and impactful science. The Arctic Science to Art contest aims to support and build community involvement and interest in active research projects. By providing space for collaboration between artists and researchers, the contest fosters science communication skills for researchers while encouraging community interactions. Contest winners Myrah Graham and Spencer Weinstein gained experience in translating their science into accessible art through their collaboration with artists Misha Donohoe and Martin Patenaude Monette. Looking forward, APECS Canada and ACUNS are working to secure funding for future offerings of the contest, as well as expanding its audience.

About the authors

Samantha Darling: Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Myrah Graham: Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University, St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada

Spencer Weinstein: University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Tia Anderlini: Association of Polar Early Career Scientists Canada, and University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Header image photo credit: APECS Canada