Upcoming Events:
Cool Connections Livestream: Diving for Breakthroughs in Medicine and Film in Antarctica
Tuesday, March 24 from 10:00 – 10:45 a.m. Pacific Time
We invite ocean enthusiasts, lifelong learners, and curious minds to tune in, learn, and ask questions about how a small Antarctic sea creature might hold clues for fighting cancer. Artist Rebecca Adorno Davila and molecular microbial ecologist Dr. Alison Murray will share insights into their work investigating ascidians, also known as sea squirts. These seafloor-dwelling creatures can host a microbe that produces Palmerolide A, a compound that could save lives.
During this livestream, you’ll hear how the team uses remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and SCUBA diving to collect these remarkable organisms, employs advanced microscopy to understand their biology, and uses artistic practice to illuminate the research process in new ways. Broadcasting live from the R/V Sikuliaq as they make their way back from the Antarctic Peninsula, the team will give us an inside look at what they’re uncovering during their expedition.
Please share this with your favorite educators, local library, science center, or community group—they might want to host a watch party! The livestream will be recorded and can be viewed live or at a later date here.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and make sure you have notifications turned on to find out about future Cool Connections!
Join us for the Polar STEAM Summit
The Polar STEAM Summit will be on October 1-3, 2025 at the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts – PRAx at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. Click here for more information.
Previous Events:
View recordings of our previous events by clicking on the links in the list below.
- Livestream from Antarctic Research Vessel (December 3, 2024)
- Livestream: Interview with a Polar STEAM Artist (February 20, 2025)
- Cool Connections Livestream: Uncovering the Secrets of Sea Ice (April 17, 2025)
- Antarctic Artists and Writers Info Session (April 30, 2025)
- Educator Program Information Session (June 10, 2025)
- Cool Connections Livestream: Saltwater on the Move Along the Arctic Edge (June 18, 2025)
- Cool Connections Livestream: Science on a Glacier’s Doorstep (July 10, 2025)
- Cool Connections Livestream: Drilling for the Oldest Ice with NSF COLDEX (January 7, 2026)
- Cool Connections Livestream: Echoes of the Ice: Sonic & Scientific Stories from Antarctica (February 10, 2026)
- Cool Connections Livestream Drifters Beneath Antarctic Waves (February 12, 2026)
Made possible with funding by the U.S. National Science Foundation Award #2221990. The information contained here is those of the author(s) and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.