About the Author

Photo credit: D. Barnes

Thanks for checking out PolarEcology.com! My name is Alexander Thornton and I started this blog to communicate my science as well as share my experiences studying Earth's polar environments and its conservation.

I am a polar, marine ecologist and educator currently based in Fairbanks, Alaska. I am employed part-time as Community Development Manager for the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS), where I work to engage the Arctic community around shared goals of international, multidisciplinary collaboration. In my spare time, I help shape the future of polar research amongst leadership for groups like the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS), International Penguin Early Career Scientists (IPECS), and Polar Educators International (PEI). I am also honored to actively participate in my own biological studies via research groups co-founded with my peers, through organizations like the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Additionally, I am excited to offer my services as a consultant for groups or individuals looking to better engage or communicate with the polar or marine research communities.

I received a Master's degree in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for research on the how a dolphin's mating system (e.g., monogamous or not) might impact an overall population's survival after interactions with fisheries. I also completed a Graduate Certificate in Science Teaching & Outreach from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Prior, I was awarded a Bachelor's degree in Field Ecology and Conservation Biology from The Evergreen State College, where I studied both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Furthermore, I have professional experience with both field and lab-based research as well as instructing students from elementary school to undergraduate levels, and routinely sought out extra-curricular training, from data management to science communication.


CV and Contact Information

You can learn more about my academic and professional background by viewing my LinkedIn profile. Feel free to contact me at alex@polarecology.com to request a copy of my CV with questions!


My Background

Photo credit: Smithsonian.com

Like many transformational life events, I vividly remember the first time I learned about Earth’s Poles. I was in Mrs. Tyler’s first grade class and my assignment was to create a tourism brochure for one of the seven continents. I had been assigned Africa, but a classmate wanted to trade with me for the icy continent of Antarctica, a seemingly insignificant event that I agreed to and which forever altered my life’s path. It was during research for this task that I discovered wildlife at both the South and North Poles―like walrus and penguins―and was transfixed by their ability to thrive under such harsh environmental conditions; plus, they looked really cool! Soon after, I realized humans could travel to the polar regions and devoured books on researchers and explorers like Ernest Shackleton and Douglas Mawson. I was also gripped by tales of John Franklin’s expeditions, told through songs like Stan Rogers’ “Northwest Passage.”

Photo credit: R. H. Thornton

There is no doubt that from an early age, I was bitten by the ‘Polar Bug’ and the fever burned hotter over time; but as I matured, so did my research interests. Growing up in the years following the discovery of a hole in the ozone layer over the South Pole and the aftermath of the Exxon-Valdez oil spill, my interests found a natural home examining polar ecosystems in flux due to global climate change and/or facing anthropogenic impacts, always under-toned by a sense of urgency for conservation. Ever an animal enthusiast, I was delighted to find ecosystem sentinels in many species of marine mammals and seabirds, thereafter focusing my studies on their ecology.


Where I Want to Go
I want to inspire my peers, policymakers, and members of the public to want to protect Earth’s polar ecosystems. Ideally, my future profession - perhaps working with the government or a non-profit organization - will allow me to not just discuss theoretical conservation goals, but play an active role in producing rigorously tested, scientific content capable of positively influencing dynamic ocean resource management for today’s and future generations using integrated ecosystem assessments.

Photo credit: A. Bowman

I was encouraged to be politically and socially aware, so by the time I reached university, it became - and still remains - my intention to be a highly-skilled scientist who not only studies the relationships between sympatric organisms and their environment, but one who also intimately understands the challenges of applying my research across disciplines and cultural divides. In the Arctic and Antarctic, for instance, it is important to recognize the various political, legal, and economic challenges of maintaining ecosystems in internationally disputed territories while simultaneously allowing sustainable resource utilization (e.g. subsistence whaling, commercial fishing). I am excited to be searching for an interdisciplinary PhD project that will allow me to consider these important concepts as well as to offer my own services as a consultant for groups hoping to better engage and communicate with the polar research community.


Early Career Research Networks
Working with early career researcher (ECR) networks has been integral to my continued involvement

APECS' 2016-17 Executive
Committee & Int'l Directorate

 in STEM and overall well-being as a grad student, so I am thrilled to give back to my peers. I have been an active member of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) since 2013, when I helped organize my first international workshop for ECRs in penguin science. The same year, I co-founded International Penguin Early Career Scientists (IPECS) with a colleague and friend. Since then, I have collaboratively coordinated eight additional in-person and many more web-based professional events for ECRs.

In 2014, I joined leadership for the APECS's U.S. National 
Committee and later served as the Board’s Co-Chair during the

APECS' 2017-18 Executive Committee,Council Chairs, & Int'l Directorate

2016-17 term. I joined APECS’ Council in 2015, served as a NC Coordinator for all non-European National Committees from 2015-16, and was elected to the Executive Committee for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 terms. In these roles, I have been particularly involved with science communication and outreach efforts; for example, I have helped coordinate biannual Polar Week celebrations since 2013 and aid in managing APECS’ social media presence. In 2017, I also became one of APECS’ Representatives to SCAR’s CBET Committee and will represent APECS at Future Earth’s Working Group of the ECR NoN meetings.


I look forward to sharing this journey with everyone through PolarEcology.com! Please do not hesitate to contact me at alex@polarecology.com with any questions or comments. Thank you for stopping by!