Outreach

I am really passionate about science communication and outreach. I believe scientists are in the unique and ethically imperative position, as experts in our fields, to offer our skill-set back to the greater community. As as student who was not encouraged from a young age to explore STEM fields, I know scientists have the ability to inspire the next generation of researchers and decision-makers.

As an early career scientist, I work to engage a network of people from all backgrounds across social media and in-person events. Through this blog, I hope to find a wider audience with whom to continue the conversation about what we can all do to promote the conservation of Earth's ecosystems for not just environmental reasons, but the well-being of all humans. It will also be a way for me to share my graduate experiences with people considering a similar path or anyone who is curious about our place in the polar world.

Below is a sampling of how I have tried to reach out and communicate my science. If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail me at alex@polarecology.com.

Publications
Peer-Reviewed

• Bauman, S.J., M.T. Costa, M.B. Fong, B.M. House, E.M. Perez, M.H. Tan, A.E. Thornton*, and P.J.S. Franks. 2014. Augmenting the biological pump: The shortcomings of geoengineered upwelling. Oceanography. 27(3):17-23, http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2014.79
  *student authors listed alphabetically by surname

 Online Media

• A.E. Thornton and A. Barbosa. 2014. Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica). AFG.Biodiversity.aq: Antarctic Field Guide. http://afg.biodiversity.aq/species/16-pygoscelis-antarctica
• I also occasionally blog for International Penguin Early Career Scientists (IPECS); authorship attributions at the top of each post.
• This blog! :)

Workshops
Upcoming Workshops
I am on the organizing committee for the following upcoming workshops or public outreach events:

Photo credit: M. Dewa

• 2018
• APECS World Summit and Early Career Workshop at POLAR2018 (Davos, Switzerland)
• IPECS Open Meetings & Workshop at POLAR2018 (Davos, Switzerland)
• #PolarPoo workshop: new approaches to non-invasive DNA sequencing in situ at POLAR2018 (Davos, Switzerland)
• 2019
• IPECS 3rd International Penguin Careers Workshop at the 10th International Penguin Conference (Dunedin, New Zealand)

Previous Workshops
I helped organize the following workshops or public outreach events:

• 2017
• APECS Career Development Workshop at Arctic Science Summit Week (Prague, Czechia)
• 2016
• APECS Science, Policy, and International Cooperation Workshop during Arctic Science Summit Week (Fairbanks, AK, USA)
• APECS Early Career Researcher Workshop at the XXXIX SCAR Open Science Conference (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
• IPECS 2nd Early Career Penguin Scientists Workshop at the 9th International Penguin Conference (Cape Town, South Africa)
• 2014
• Sustainable Fisheries & Aquaculture Poster Session at the NOAA FSV Reuben Lasker commissioning ceremony (San Diego, CA, USA)
• 2013
• APECS / IPECS 1st International Penguin Careers Workshop at the 8th International Penguin Conference (Bristol, United Kingdom)

Presentations
Oral Presentations

Photo credit: A.E. Thornton

• 2017
• Pacific walrus teeth highlight potential resiliency in the face of ecosystem change (A. Thornton, L. Horstmann, & N. Misarti) at the 22nd Biennial Marine Mammal Conference [Halifax, Nova Scotia, CAN]
• Digital Outreach with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (H. Nielsen, A. Thornton, & G. Fuggman) at the SCAR Biology Symposium [Leuven, BE]
• APECS as a Stakeholder: Training Future Leadership within the Polar Research Community (R. Hindshaw, T.J. Young, A. Thornton, H. Nielsen, J. Lenz, A. Bradley, & G. Fugmann) at the British Antarctic Survey Workshop: The Future of Polar Governance: Knowledge, Laws, Regimes, and Resources [Cambridge, UK]
• Using stable isotopes from annual growth layers of Pacific walrus teeth to understand resiliency of an Alaska Native subsistence species (A. Thornton, L. Horstmann, & N. Misarti) at the 44th Meeting of the Alaska Anthropological Association [Fairbanks, AK]
• 2016
• Understanding resiliency of Pacific walruses to climatic change using stable isotopes (A. Thornton, L. Horstmann, & N. Misarti) at the Student Conference on Conservation Science-New York (SCCS-NY) at the American Museum of Natural History [New York, NY]
• Digital Outreach: Crossing borders online with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (H. Nielsen, A. Thornton, & G. Fuggman) at the XXXIV SCAR Open Science Conference [Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia]
• 2015
• Summer terrestrial haulout use of Pacific walrus in the Bering Sea region​ (A. Thornton) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Introduction to Marine Sciences seminar
• 2014
• Developing an oil spill response network in the Southern Ocean (A. Thornton) at the Polar Seminar at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
• Deep trouble: The challenges of managing and protecting deep sea resources (L. Levin, K. Mengerink, M. Epp, & A. Thornton) at the Forum for Environmental Change at Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Poster Presentations

• 2017
• Using Pacific Walrus Teeth to Study Patterns of Change in Alaska Food Web Dynamics (A. Thornton, L. Horstmann, & N. Misarti) at the The Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) [Prague, Czech Republic]
• Winner: Best Marine and Best Overall Poster Awards
• APECS as an Arctic Stakeholder: Training Future Leadership of the Polar Research Community (A. Thornton, H. Nielsen, J. Lenz, R. Hindshaw, A. Bradley, & G. Fugmann) at the The Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) [Prague, Czech Republic] 
• APECS’ Online Conference, Virtual Posters, & Webinars to the World (H. Nielsen, A. Thornton, J. Lenz, R. Hindshaw, A. Bradley, & G. Fugmann) at the The Arctic Science Summit Week (ASSW) [Prague, Czech Republic]
• Walrus Lifestyle - What Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes in Walrus Whiskers Reveal (M. Dela Rosa, L. Horstmann, A. Thornton, & N. Misarti) at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium [Anchorage, AK] 
• Time Travel Through Walrus Teeth & Bones: Collagen & the Story Behind it (Z. Akeya, E. Oxereok, L. Horstmann, A. Thornton, C. Clark, & N. Misarti) at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium [Anchorage, AK] 
• 2007
• Handling Wild Spheniscus demersus (African penguin) Chicks (A. Thornton) at the 6th International Penguin Conference [Hobart, Tasmania, AUS]

Selected Social Media

Photo credit: R. Badhe

• Social Media Team Member, XXXIII SCAR Open Science Conference
• Social Media Contributor, Effects of Oil on Wildlife Conference
• Organizer, APECS Polar Week (Biannual, online SciComm celebrations in March and September, inc. Reddit AMAs, Twitter, conferences, film fests, etc.)
• Organizer, US APECS Polar Film Fest
• Guest Curator, @Biotweeps: Featured contributor of content on Antarctic/Southern Ocean ecology, marine birds and mammals, as well as environmental policy and economics: https://storify.com/AntarcticWaters/my-week-on-biotweeps 
• Upcoming: scheduled to curate a week about penguins starting 25 September 2017!
• Organizer, Women in Antarctic Penguin Science Hangout (Live chat and Q&A with scientists who research penguins in Antarctica)
• Presenter, World Seabird Twitter Conference (#WSTC1)

Other Highlights

• I am one of APECS' Representatives to the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research’s (SCAR) Capacity Building, Education and Training (CBET) Advisory Group Steering Committee.
• Dr. Lloyd Spencer Davis featured me as a "Future Professor Penguin" in Professor Penguin: adventure and discovery with penguins (Random House New Zealand).
• I received a “Video Storyteller” Award for “Save the Vaquita!” from video production services at KPBS San Diego for a public service announcement prototype.
• I attended the NSF- and NASA-funded Polar Science Communication Workshop (amazing!).
• I was the only pre-PhD-level student rapporteur for the ‘Defining “Significance” in Environmental Impact Assessment for Deep Ocean, Non-Renewable Resource Extraction’ workshop in La Jolla, California, a collaboration between Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative, International Network for Scientific Investigations of Deep-Sea Ecosystems, UCSD-Scripps Institution of Oceanography, National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, and the Environmental Law Institute.
• I won an Innovative Education & Technology Award ($10,000 USD) to integrate classroom response systems into ocean STEM classes offered by the College of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, from the University of Alaska Undergraduate Research & Scholarly Activity program.
• I worked as a Marine Biologist Guide, giving kayak and/or snorkel tours of the La Jolla Underwater Park Ecological Reserve and Marine Life Refuge in San Diego, California.