Science to the “small screen”

General Assemblies, annual gatherings where all institutions meet physically, are by definition not the kind of meeting that can be turned into an email! However, meeting in person doesn’t mean that we can’t also prioritise our environment and travel thoughtfully. For SEA-Quester, our videographer Olivia and Project Lead Paige hopped on a couple trains and a ferry to reach the Åland Islands.

We started off the week with an “Early Career Researcher Day” – where 12 SEA-Quester PhD students and Post-Docs joined GRID-Arendal’s videographer Olivia Rempel for a media training workshop and a quick crash course in making Instagram reels. Just ask them about the 10 elements of newsworthiness, when to say “off the record”, and how important capturing good quality audio is for social media!

The early career researchers come from a variety of different backgrounds, from climate modeling to paleoceanography, some more niche than others. Thanks to the workshop, they were able to practice interviewing each other to get more comfortable explaining their work.

Group of people poses outdoors near a wooden observation tower on a rocky hilltop. The day is sunny with a clear blue sky.

Woman in a white jacket smiles outdoors, holding a water bottle. She wears sunglasses and a knit hat. Other people and trees are visible in the background.

Three people ride in a small motorboat on a lake. One person waves, another steers, and the third rows. Forest lines the shore under a cloudy sky.

After lunch, the Early Career Researchers split up to film and bring their ideas to life, followed by a short hike up to a lookout tower in the forest.

Three people wave from the top of a wooden observation tower against a clear blue sky. The tower is made of weathered wood and the view is from below.

Group of 12 smiling people pose on a wooden bench outdoors on a sunny day. They are casually dressed in jackets, sweaters, and jeans. A tree and blue sky are in the background.

Before parting ways on Day 3 of the General Assembly, we showcased the Early Career Researchers’ handiwork in a mini “Reel Film Festival” and discussed which storylines (key messages developed throughout the project) should be incorporated in our upcoming exhibits (more educational and evergreen) or factsheets for policymakers (focused on “innovation” and new findings).

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After a round of presentations and voting, Aarhus was selected as next year’s SEA-Quester General Assembly location. Looking forward to seeing everyone for our final meeting in Denmark in 2027. Skål!

Group portrait of about 30 people gathered outdoors near a lake and forest. They stand and kneel on a grassy bank with reeds, under a clear blue sky.

About SEA-Quester

SEA-Quester is investigating marine carbon cycling in novel ecosystems in the polar seas that are emerging due to climate change. Melting sea ice, changing currents, and a warmer ocean are already changing species distribution, behaviour, and metabolism. How these will further impact marine biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, like carbon sequestration, in the polar seas is poorly understood. However, this potentially has large consequences for meeting biodiversity and climate change mitigation targets.