Turning the Tide – Hull’s part of Women’s Movement 100
Dance-performance-film project to highlight the role of women in the growing renewable energy & offshore wind sectors and encourage more girls into STEM careers
My latest project Turning the Tide combines my passion to communicate science, my desire to encourage more girls and women into STEM subjects and my love of dance. It’s an amazing science-art collaboration with professional dancer & choreographer Fred Garland and made possible by 15 wonderful volunteers and a brilliant project team I was allowed to lead who all gave their time & put their soul into this: I hope you enjoy the film! It premiered on 8th Dec 2022. There is also a teaser and an exhibition at the AURA Innovation Centre showcased the project and all 15 Angels of the North in January 2023. In September/October 2023 the Turning the Tide exhibition also made it to the University of Hull Campus and people could follow in the footsteps of the dancers to explore the topic in a creative way. Turning the Tide is not only intending to show a very different perspective of women’s possible roles in STEM careers in industry, but also to inspire girls and women to seize the opportunity now within a growing innovative sector that needs them. It will also form part of Fred Garland’s Women’s Movement 100 – Angels of the North project and presents a completely new innovative way to communicate science through movement and dance.
Crabby’s Reef – online game about ocean acidification
Pac-man style online game to make you experience how a crab might feel in acidifying ocean conditions
Based on research into the impact of pH on the ability of crabs to locate food, this fun online game in the style of pac-man puts the player into the position of Crabby, the crab, which needs to keep eating to maintain its energy level and avoid being eaten by hunting octopuses. With every level the ocean becomes more acidic, the pH gauge drops and the view becomes more blurry… how long can you survive.
To try out the result of this amazing collaboration with Dr. Chris Skinner and PLAY, visit the game’s web page.
CHANGING SEAS exhibit at The Deep
Aquarium exhibit showcasing the effects of ocean acidification on marine biotoxins and other molecules
The new exhibit called ‘Changing Seas’ opened in February 2020 at The Deep, inspired by our results that biotoxins will become more toxic in future ocean conditions. Showing toxic animals like a yellow dog-face pufferfish, lion fishes, a leopard moray eel and different soft corals, the tank is framed by pH-scale coloured sails, a comic-style animated projection explaining the process of ocean acidification and multiple interactive infographics and screens.
To boost impact during the corona virus pandemic, I also made a small video (see below) and together with the team of The Deep created a range of online materials.
Diving Deeper into Climate Change – Science Evening at The Deep (Sept 2021)
Will Hermit Crabs go Hungry in Future Oceans?
A Science-meets-School project bringing the latest research straight to the classroom
During my Ph.D., I established that ocean acidification causes key smell molecules used by crabs to change considerably. In a short test set of behavioural observations I found that this results in hermit crabs being no longer able to locate a food source when only presented with a smell-dosed paper vs. a control. This formed the basis for a very simple experimental set-up, which in close collaboration with Dr. Helga Bartels-Hardege was then translated into an outreach project for local schools.
We have published the details as a case study in the book ‘Climate Change and the Role of Education’ in the ‘Climate Change Management’ series.
More outreach activities
Interview for a German children’s podcast about becoming and working as a marine biologist (German only).
Interviewed for and substantially featured in a recent C&EN article (Sept 2021) amongst other important scientists in the field.
Featured in @compoundchem’s “Women in Chemistry” set of cards.
More to follow soon.
Dr. Christina C. Roggatz 