Living Data

Interviews INDEX

It's not just about the story teller, is it. It's about the story to be told.
Kirrallee Baker, Scientist

2013

What do we know about climate change and how are we responding?

    Algae are far more resiliant to temperature changes than previously imagined. This discovery by UTS scientist Dr Martina Doblin and her team has been transformational for this field of science. Visualising data allows scientists and artists to see patterns within them that have not been seen before.

    Algae are experiencing increasingly variable temperatures. UTS PhD science candidate Kirralee Baker investigates how they respond and asks if their intricate detailed forms will simplify as they adapt to climate change.

    Microscopic particles of plastics are now found in diatoms, the building blocks of life. Artist Shona Wilson creates models of imagined future life forms that speculate on results of this recent scientific observation.

    The giant kelp forests of Tasmania are vanishing. Invasive species from the north seek cooler climes as oceans warm and devastate southern ecosystems. Science illustrator and animator Malou Zuidema collaborates with marine scientists to visualise knowledge that is vital for sustaining biodiversity essential to fishing industries.

    If fossil fuels continue to be consumed at current rates, the entire population of Euphausia superba (Antarctic krill) is predicted to collapse by 2300, with dire consequences for the entire Southern Ocean ecosystem. Artist Lisa Roberts collaborates with krill biologists to interpret observations of krill responses to increasing ocean acidification due to our massive burning of fossil fuels.

    The Earth is mostly Ocean and our senses mostly drive our actions. Artist Dean Walsh develops a movement scoring system to communicate with collaborating artists whose shared concern is the changing climate of inner spaces.