Catfish and Climate Change; A Story of Environmental Science Outreach
- s1544997
- Dec 1, 2018
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 7, 2018
A seminar by Alex Ingle, Photographer, filmmaker and science communicator
This blog is a little bit different to its predecessors – the seminar was less about science and more about how it is communicated. The blog will follow the story Alex crafted for the seminar, while I also weave in a bit of science to plug the gaps.
p.s. there are no rocks!
What was the seminar about and why is it important?
Alex Ingle was a man torn between two worlds – Geography and Art. After graduating from the University of Glasgow with an undergraduate degree in Geography he wanted to combine his love of science with his love of art. Alex began to forge a career in a relatively new niche where he started to represent the faces behind the science the public hear about – showcasing the scientists who make science possible by his use of film and photographs.
This blog will cover the Alex’s progression from boy to successful filmmaker, focusing on the science behind some of the expeditions that he promoted.
It was an important seminar as it was promoting science outreach to the wider world, which helps the public understand and relate to the people who are forging pathways in science. As well as this, outreach programs can inspire people to study science related degrees and aids the funding of research projects and expeditions.
It all started with some catfish and a camera…
Alex was given his first disposable camera on holiday in France when he was just five years old. At the same time, he came across some small catfish in a pond and he preceded to spend all his time photographing them. This is where his love of nature and photography began.
At school he continued to develop this love further by studying geography and photography but decided to try and stick with geography for university. Alex studied his undergraduate degree in Glasgow and for his dissertation he travelled to Iceland to do his fieldwork.
A short video explaining Lichenometry and its limitations can be found here: https://youtu.be/LzdDymIljaA
While staying in the only hotel near the glacier he met his future wife. After he graduated, Alex went travelling for a few years and experimented with his creative pursuits and tried his hand at film-making. However, after a while he realised that he wanted to go back to university and do his masters. He ended up doing his masters at Edinburgh University.
While doing fieldwork on the glacier, an American photographer, Chris Linder, spent some time at the base-camp. For the two days that Chris was with them, Alex got lots of advice and instruction about using his photography skills. Once he finished his masters, Alex now knew that he wanted to find a way to utilise his environmental degree with his photography skills.
For a while he had to take odd jobs to make money and gain experience. Alex had to do a lot of interior property photography which he didn’t like at all. Alex’s first break came in 2014, which allowed him to start building up a science-focussed portfolio.
Britice – Chrono 2014
Alex joined the research vessel, the RRS James Cook, for a three-week expedition around the Irish coast to drill sediment cores. Alex was hired to document the daily life of the crew and scientists aboard the ship. This was Alex’s big breakthrough in communicating science through his photography skills.
You can watch Alex’s film from Britice 2014 here: https://youtu.be/c9EiG_OfJIg
Britice – Chrono 2015
Alex was invited back to the next Britice expedition in 2015 as his work with the crew had been well received. This time the voyage was for 5 and a half weeks. Alex got to work with new faces and once again show the world the faces behind the science being carried out.
You can find Alex’s film for Britice 2015 here: https://youtu.be/3v1_ed4dJ04
British Geological Survey (BGS) 2015
Because of his work with Britice, the BGS hired Alex specifically for documenting the lives of the crew aboard the NVL Pharos. The BGS was testing their sea bed rock drill, the RD2, off the coast of Oban. Alex’s videos are now widely used by the BGS for training purposes. Alex was aboard for two weeks while the crew used the drill to core rock on the sea floor.
CALVE (Calving glaciers: Long-term Validation and Evidence) 2016
Alex was hired to work with the CALVE team in Greenland in 2016 to split his time between the marine and terrestrial teams. Alex produced films of the team working in Greenland for the University of Liverpool (Behind the project).
To watch Alex’s film, follow this link: https://youtu.be/3qXVAS8PfCs
To read more about CALVE, follow this link: http://gef.nerc.ac.uk/documents/report/1049.pdf
What is Alex doing currently?
Alex has lots of science outreach projects on the cards for the next few years. He was given the position of science correspondent for the Schmidt ocean institute (another research vessel) to promote the expeditions and research taking place on it.
Alex is now the BGS’s official external filmmaker and has been approached by National Geographic to do a piece for their magazine.
How did the talk advance our knowledge?
The talk advanced our knowledge of science outreach programmes via media. Before the talk took place, it was a subject that was unknown to most of the audience. Alex communicated the importance of these projects for engaging with the public and showing them the people who are behind the academic papers.
Alex gives science a recognisable and approachable face for the public to relate to. Outreach projects share the ups and downs of working in extreme places in the name of science. As well as inspiring people to forge careers in these areas, the videos that Alex creates can be used to promote the institutions and organisations who fund the projects. Films and photographs are a great way to engage with people and allow them to be a part of the science.
The photos used in this blog come from Alex Ingle’s website: alex@alexingle.com
To keep up-to-date on his current projects you can follow his work here: @alexinglephoto
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