Conference: 2027 Polar Marine Science Gordon Research Conference and Seminar

This award supports convening the 2027 Biennial Polar Marine Science Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Seminar in Oxnard, CA, bringing together scientists to discuss new research about the Antarctic and Arctic oceans. Polar science is inherently interdisciplinary, necessitating collaboration across both traditional and emerging disciplines to address the most pressing questions. Topics to be discussed include 1) Stratification, Ventilation, and Changing Deepwater Formation in the Polar Oceans, 2) Shifting Primary Production Patterns in the Polar Oceans, 3) Evolving Freshwater Forcing and Impacts in the Polar Oceans, 4) From the Polar Oceans, Through Aerosols and Clouds, and Back to the Polar Oceans, 5) Micronutrient Sources and Interactions in the Polar Oceans, 6) Paradoxes of Polar Marine Greenhouse Gas Source/Sink Balances, 7) Insights from Super-Interglacials into Changes in the Modern Polar Oceans, 8) Exploring Synergies in the Study of Extra- and Terrestrial Ice Covered Oceans, and 9) Non-Invasive Approaches to Studying Higher Trophic Levels. The Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), titled “Polar opposites - understanding governing principles in polar ecosystem dynamics”, will comprise the first two days of the meeting. It will be organized by early-career scientists elected by the participants of the preceding GRS and will provide a forum specifically designed for early-career scientists. Moderators from the early-career community will guide sessions exploring the responses of physical, chemical, and biological processes to ongoing environmental change; quantifying local, seasonal, and interannual variability; and investigating cascading consequences for ecosystem function and services. The Seminar will encourage professional development through informal mentorship, communities building activities, and facilitated networking. Following the Seminar, the Gordon Research Conference titled “The Polar Oceans as Global Lynchpins” will explore some of the most important topics and disagreements in polar oceanography, including topics such as changing ocean stratification and deepwater formation, processes fostering and limiting marine primary production, evolving freshwater impacts on the polar oceans, and aerosol and cloud feedbacks on the oceans. The six-day format encourages networking and collaboration among scientists at all career stages and helps build a robust polar marine science community. Sessions are designed to help scientists from different fields understand each other's challenges and foster new collaborations. 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.