ASU anthropologist joins groundbreaking Arctic voyage to co-produce actionable science

When the National Science Foundation’s research vessel Sikuliaq left Seward, Alaska, it carried more than scientific instruments and supplies.

It carried a vision that the future of Arctic research depends not just on charts, sensors and data points, but on the equitable engagement of Indigenous communities and combining their lived knowledge with Western science.

The Convergence Research Cruise, a 2,500-mile and 16-day voyage to gather data and put knowledge co-production into practice, is a part of the four-year ACTION project, a $13.9 million program funded in 2023 by the National Science Foundation. The project aims to help multiple communities respond to coastal erosion, flooding, permafrost thaw and other hazards attributed to climate change. ACTION, which stands for Alaska Coastal Cooperative for Co-producing Transformative Ideas and Opportunities in the North, is a collaborative effort between eight Indigenous rural coastal communities, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Arizona State University, the University of Northern Iowa, the University of Texas at El Paso, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey.

At the heart of the project, and the voyage, is co-production of knowledge between Arctic coastal communities along with natural and social scientists to produce actionable science, according to Shauna BurnSilver, an environmental social scientist and associate professor in ASU School of Human Evolution and Social Change.

“This means science that makes a difference in the lives of people who are navigating serious changes that are cumulative and serious, like declining sea ice, coastal erosion and fisheries loss — all within very challenging policy and governance landscapes, and doing so in ways that build from community strengths,” BurnSilver explained.

BurnSilver was one of 21 science crewmembers aboard Sikuliaq for its voyage. The crew included an equal split between social, biophysical and Indigenous scientists — a first for any NSF voyage. The cruise created conditions where people from multiple knowledge traditions worked together in meaningful ways, fostering cross-learning and knowledge co-generation.

The collaborative structure extended to the scientific program itself. Each crew member served as both teacher and learner, with modules scheduled throughout the voyage. BurnSilver deployed wave buoys, cut fish and collected soil and water diatoms. She also led a three-part session on governance, drawing connections between Indigenous and Western governance systems, and the ways they intersect in contemporary policy challenges.

“The discussions were incredibly rich, emotional even, as crew members talked through experiences navigating different values between agencies and communities,” she said.

As the ship made its way around the coast of Alaska, the science team conducted research during its stops in Chignik Bay, Atka and Gambell, as well as offshore research at St. Paul, Hooper Bay and Nome, with the work aiming to fill data gaps in support of coastal hazard assessments, storm forecasting and response.

But, according to BurnSilver, the science that took place on the Sikuliaq was all community driven. For the two years leading up to the research cruise, community leaders relayed coastal histories, patterns of change and efforts to navigate complex state and federal policies to ACTION scientists. Research scientists also pulled together results from previous work on those concerns.

“Then, together, we matched community knowledge and priorities with science capabilities,” said BurnSilver.

One major project was to monitor harmful algal blooms in real time. This is becoming an increasing concern for Alaska coastal communities as ocean temperatures rise. Harmful algal blooms, which can lead to fatal paralytic shellfish poisoning, are occurring in new regions and are a risk for communities dependent on marine species for food and well-being.

Other fieldwork included shoreline surveys using drone and GIS and collecting near-shore bathymetryBathymetry is the study of underwater depth of ocean floors, river floors or lake floors. — all critical elements for community floodplain mapping.

But there was more than data collection happening; there was also community building and co-learning.

While onshore, the crew connected in person with many collaborators — known up until that point only through zoom — through community-wide BBQ potlucks, as well as hunting, boating and ATV trips that allowed everyone to bear witness to both community strengths and the impacts of environmental changes in each place. The Sikuliaq boat crew also ran tours for community members to see the ship and learn about the science taking place aboard the vessel.

“The exchange of knowledge went in all directions, nonstop for the entire trip — and it had never been done before,” she said.

Therein lies the heart of the Convergence Research Cruise and ACTION mission: the exchange of knowledge.

“The environmental changes occurring in the Arctic are occurring quickly and the experiences of communities with change are diverse – and distant from each other,” BurnSilver said. 

“But this kind of innovative science brought people together where change is being experienced, to leverage and learn from each other’s experiences and skills. Indigenous knowledge holders are full partners in all that we do, and they were networking back-and-forth with each other, discussing what has worked and what hasn’t. Folks from Atka were talking with Gambell leaders about where funding mechanisms for coastal mitigation fall short of addressing community needs. On the trip, this dynamic completely transformed discussions about communities to real learning with community partners.”

ACTION is currently in its second year of funding as they work to build a “knowledge-to-action” network, with more work ahead for BurnSilver and her colleagues, including Abigail York and Marty Anderies, both professors of environmental social science in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change. The project also includes students from the school who participate in the Arctic Lab, who were also in Alaska this summer as part of the ACTION project. This is part of a growing portfolio of impactful work happening in the Arctic by these ASU researchers.

“I think this collective learning is one way to make change visible and make science actionable and relevant to the lives of people. It’s a perfect illustration of how knowledge convergence is synergistic. STEM or social science alone in the face of these complex challenges is not enough.”