Bridging Science and Public Knowledge: two students expand understanding of seamount microbes

Read full article here: Exploring underwater mountains: Students add marine microbial hotspots to Wikipedia by Colleen McCoy
This spring, two science students at the University of British Columbia, Alia Kogiso (Integrated Sciences major with a focus on Environmental Chemistry, Ecology, and Structural Geology) and Alyssa Jung (biology major), brought a new, robust article to Wikipedia on Seamount microbial communities as their final project in Dr. Curtis Suttle’s EOSC 475: Marine Microbiology course. By carefully collecting, reviewing, and synthesizing existing literature, they showed how seamounts act as unique hotspots for microbial communities with great diversity and adaptability to extreme conditions, such as high pressure, low temperatures, and limited nutrient availability. Their article not only expanded knowledge but also filled a gap in public understanding of the critical role of seamount-associated microbes in marine nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning.
“I loved this assignment because it allowed us to engage with a wider audience and develop skills in communicating science to the public, which I believe will be invaluable in a professional setting after graduation,” said Kogiso. “We hope that readers get a glimpse of the importance of microbes in an underexplored biodiversity such as seamounts,” said Jung.
During the last spring term alone, students in the Marine Microbiology course contributed 86K words to Wikipedia, creating 10 new articles and enhancing 35 existing articles, with their work reaching nearly half a million views. Over the years, the cumulative contributions from the course have grown to 436k words and 10.4 million page views, demonstrating how academic coursework can enrich public knowledge and broaden access to scientific information.

Alia Kogiso. Credit: Alia Kogiso

Alyssa Jung. Credit: Alyssa Jung