PCAPS Open Session 2025: Gathering of polar experts to discuss how to strengthen forecasting services

On 15 April 2025, PCAPS held its annual Open Session at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, UK. Arctic and Antarctic researchers, forecasters and stakeholders gathered to discuss forecasting challenges and opportunities for collaboration during the half-day event. 

James Wake (BAS) addressing the use of forecast information for research logistics in the Antarctic. Photo credit: Jelmer Jeuring. 

The Open Session was an opportunity to seek input from Antarctic and Arctic stakeholders and research scientists to discuss the PCAPS project. Participants shared perspectives around research and operational challenges and opportunities, bottlenecks experienced, and best practices in information provision and use, as well as mapping forecast information needs.

The broader objective of this Open Session was to enable channels of communication and explore opportunities for collaboration between the PCAPS project and polar research communities, to begin establishing long-term, inter- and transdisciplinary partnerships.   

The Open Session was split into two parts. The first hybrid part was attended in-person by almost 50 people, plus about 15 online participants.

PCAPS Co-chair Daniela Liggett gave an introductory talk about the PCAPS project, followed by three keynote speakers who highlighted the different ways that polar forecasts are used by stakeholders and end-users: James Wake (BAS) discussed the integration of forecast information with Antarctic science operations, Aidan Hunter (BAS) addressed ecosystem forecasting needs, and Ed Blockley and Nick Silkstone (UK Met Office) discussed the forecasting and modelling activities that the Met Office undertakes for the polar regions. 

Jelmer Jeuring (MET Norway) introduces the interactive exercise to the breakout groups. Photo credit: Gita Ljubicic. 

The second part of the session was in-person only, consisting of breakout group discussions. Using a value cycle framework, about 45 participants were split up in six groups and engaged in table-top mapping exercises to identify key value cycle gaps, related research priorities, opportunities, and ways forward. These activities were wrapped up in a plenary session where findings were shared and discussed. 

Examples of issues that emerged across the breakout groups include the paradoxical relationship with environmental (observational) data, which is both huge in volume but at the same time difficult to find, access and apply.

Another bottleneck pertained to the limited continuity of observation and modelling efforts that are project-based, and often do not transform into operational products.

In addition, issues related to trust and translation persist throughout the value cycle, and are as much a concern for interactions between modellers and operational forecasters, as it is for interactions with various user groups.

Similarly, several groups mentioned the need to enable multi-lingual communication, for example providing forecasts in Arctic Indigenous People’s languages.  

Despite these challenges, all groups identified several practical, achievable opportunities that need to be prioritised, and around which the PCAPS project can stimulate improvements. Suggestions included:

• development of metadata repositories and more accessible data platforms,

• stronger co-development of products with (end) users, and

• creation of trans- and interdisciplinary training programs and summer schools to bridge gaps between career stages, societal stakeholder groups, and professional sectors.

Investments in tools like satellite-enhanced nowcasting, AI-assisted observations, and community-based data collection were also seen as ways to improve both the quantity, quality and overall usability of available data.

Finally, there was a call to rebalance funding resources for polar research from a heavy upstream focus on observations and modelling toward financing research on the equally vital, downstream value cycle stages of communication, interpretation, and decision-making. 

In summary, the path forward to strengthening forecasting services involves not just better data, but improved and more efficient systems for translating data into actionable knowledge that generate trusted information that supports decision-making and actions. These outcomes align with various aims of the PCAPS project ambitions, and highlight the urgency of, and interest in, making progress on these issues across the Antarctic and Arctic research communities. 

A full workshop report of the Open Session will be published on the PCAPS website in due course.