#SciFund is a month-and-a-half long initiative to raise funds for a variety of scientific research projects. Project leaders post a project description and an appeal for funds, and members of the public are invited to make small donations to projects that they deem worthy. Donations come with rewards such as access to project logs, images from fieldwork, your name in the acknowledgements of publications, among other possibilities. Many of these projects are marine or conservation themed. Over the next week, we’ll highlight some of our favorites. Please take a look at these projects and, should you so desire, send some financial support their way. If you do make a donation, let them know how you found out about their project and leave a comment (anonymous if you’d like) on this post letting us know.

Culture of Climate Change in French Polynesia

This pilot study, led by an interdisciplinary team from the University of California and French Polynesia, will send a graduate student to the island of Moorea to interview stakeholders around the island in order to understand how residents understand and experience climate change. They will also produce a map of climate change “hotspots” areas that are exceptionally valuable and exceptionally vulnerable to climate change.

I like this project because it involves local researchers in French Polynesia, the support they’re asking for directly contributes to a graduate student’s thesis work, and they clearly have a vision for a much larger project that this will feed into. Go take a look at their project page and consider contributing to a worthy study.