About This Project

The Living Snow Project is documenting pink snow blooms and characterizing the microbiome across mountain ranges. Pink snow is the seasonal blooms of pink-colored algae that influence rates of glacier melt by darkening snow, a process that is exacerbated by warming climate. Volunteer observations and collections of pink snow for DNA analysis help generate a robust dataset that can uncover patterns in bloom events over climate-relevant timescales.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

The Living Snow Project is a university run citizen science program that empowers local communities to track and sample pink snow, an iconic feature of alpine spring and summer snowpack and glaciers. Snow algae produce intense blooms turning snow and ice pink, orange, or bright red due to bight pigments assumed to provide UV or oxidative stress protection. Their bright color darkens the snow surface, reducing reflectance of solar radiation and accelerating snowmelt. Thus, glacial melting due to climate change will likely present more favorable conditions for growth, while simultaneously also reducing habitat. There are many different species of snow algae and it is still unknown how biodiversity and biogeography affect snow and glacier melt.

What is the significance of this project?

Climate change is causing glacial loss worldwide, and snow algae blooms can further accelerate melt. Glacial melting also presents favorable conditions for algae growth, while simultaneously reducing their habitat. Volunteer observation and collections of large datasets across mountain-range scales are needed to understand how this process is changing over time. We recruit volunteers through the outdoor recreation community, which is under-engaged in conservation despite their reliance on healthy ecosystems for recreational opportunities. By empowering people of all ages to participate in science in the places they love to play, we help cultivate a deeper awareness of and appreciation for complex alpine ecosystems.

What are the goals of the project?

In 2021, we are expanding our program to integrate algae collections with bloom size and assessment of the snow habitat. Currently, volunteers can participate by collecting samples with a sample collection kit or making observations with the Living Snow Project app. The app stores GPS coordinates and notes about observations if the phone is out of service and send coordinates once the phone reconnects. Participants who collect samples scoop pink snow into DNA preservative using a sample kit. With improvements to the App, volunteers can include measurements of pink snow patches, record snow pH and snow depth, and upload pictures. We plan a large recruitment effort spring 2021 to capitalize on the record number of new visitors to public lands in 2020.