Will Lawler, Citizen Science in Antarctica (TRAVEL 2023)

A growing number of expedition ships to Antarctica are incorporating significant citizen science programs in their itineraries. Travellers are becoming increasingly environmentally aware and indeed seek out destinations such as Antarctica because of their interests in the natural world. Tour Operators see this an an opportunity to inform and educate with the hope that it acts as a catalyst for change. Some commentators consider the introduction of tourists to Antarctica and the last true vestiges of the wild and natural world to be highly controversial, considering the significant carbon footprint and ecological impact of being there in the first instance. These images depict the release of licensed weather balloons in Antarctica - the first citizen science of its kind and the first such release from a commercial vessel.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.