Miami Science Museum Embarks on Five-Week Arctic Expedition

MIAMI - Aug. 13, 2013 - PRLog -- The Miami Science Museum has been invited to participate in an international Arctic expedition. Organized by the International Arctic Research Center in Alaska and the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute in Russia, with support from the National Science Foundation, the Arctic expedition will take place aboard the Russian research vessel Akademic Fyodorov. The expedition will be an international effort to study climate processes in the polar region, including physical oceanography, atmospheric science, ocean chemistry, and the carbon cycle. Taking place August 17 through September 24, the goal of the expedition is to enhance early-career scientists’ knowledge, skill, and awareness of Arctic processes while promoting collaboration with well-established scientists in order to increase our understanding of Arctic processes.

Science Curator Lindsay Bartholomew will be representing the Miami Science Museum on the expedition and interactively documenting her experiences in the Arctic. On her five-week expedition, Ms. Bartholomew will maintain regular contact with Museum visitors, classroom teachers and students, Museum partners and stakeholders, and the public at large, through a blog and via social media outlets.

“Although they may seem very different and are very far from one another, the polar regions and Miami are connected by climate processes,” said Miami Science Museum Science Curator Lindsay Bartholomew.  “This expedition will allow the Museum to educate the public about these processes, share in real time what a scientific expedition is really like through social media and the web, and help scientists hone their science communication skills through onboard workshops.”

Ms. Bartholomew will also connect in-person with Miami-Dade County Public School classrooms after the expedition, giving a face to the Arctic expedition for students and providing additional hands-on activities related to expedition research. In addition, Ms. Bartholomew will use content and media from the expedition to help develop new curricula for the Museum’s existing education programs, such as the Upward Bound Math and Science Program, as well as for brand new programs. Physical artifacts, samples, and images from the expedition will also contribute to a subsequent Arctic climate display at the Museum.

The expedition comes as construction of the new Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science continues to progress in downtown Miami, and the Museum’s involvement in this expedition will help to build international relationships and develop new ideas for experiences that will be incorporated into the new facility.

“A center focus of the Miami Science Museum is to be at the forefront of cutting-edge science,” said Miami Science Museum CEO Gillian Thomas. “More than just a facility, we work to find unique ways to educate the community about science in fun, interactive ways, and this expedition will work towards that goal.”

The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science will be among the world’s most innovative and sustainable science museums. The Museum will be structured around a lushly landscaped indoor and outdoor “living core” of terrestrial and aquatic environments, featuring an aquarium experience totaling over 500,000 gallons, a full dome planetarium, interactive exhibits, innovative technology and two additional wings of exhibition space, the Knight Learning Center, Innovation Center and cafes.

For information and updates of the Arctic Expedition please visit  http://www.miamisci.org/lindsayinthearctic/ and follow @ArcticLindsay on Twitter (https://twitter.com/ArcticLindsay) and Instagram.

ABOUT MIAMI SCIENCE MUSEUM

For over 60 years, Miami Science Museum has been making a difference in people’s lives by inspiring them to appreciate the impact that science and technology can have on every facet of our world. In 2015, the legacy will continue with the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, a new state-of-the-art facility designed by Grimshaw Architects currently under construction in the heart of downtown Miami. The Museum will be structured around a lushly landscaped indoor and outdoor “living core” of terrestrial and aquatic environments, featuring a Gulf Stream aquarium experience totaling over 500,000 gallons, a full dome planetarium, interactive exhibits, the Knight Learning Center, Innovation Center and cafes. Miami Science Museum/Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science is accredited by the American Association of Museums, is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and a member of the Association of Science and Technology Centers. For more information about the current Museum or our future home, the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, visit www.miamisci.org or call (305) 646-4248. Miami Science Museum/Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science is funded with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.