Seanasol research
At Seanasol Research, we develop open-source tools that help our understanding of how living ecosystems really work. We focus on translating environmental science into experiences that are accessible, interpretable, and grounded in ecological reality. It is for this reason that we are introducing Green Tundra, our new educational project — an experience built by professionals in climate, environment, and sustainability research.
icebreaker
As you may know, global temperatures are rising, and ecosystems are undergoing changes. Some of these changes we feel, others, not so much. In the tundra biome, in some of the colder places on the planet, warming temperatures mean that the once frozen landscape is becoming greener. For the animals and plants living there, the impacts of this will take several years to realise, but pressures for survival get harsher season to season.
Experience
Green Tundra is not intended to be a gamified experience, nor a simulator. It is an interactive experience that explores how species interact, populations shift, and environments respond to change. Its engine is built from population and climate models, including regional weather mechanisms and population genetics equations, to help visualise trends over time, and for you, as an observer, see how introducing new species or climates impact ecosystems. For those wishing a more challenging experience, our platform mechanics dive deeper into genetic drift and gene flow.
Biomes
Biomes are like breathing spaces where all types of plants, animals, insects, aquatic organisms and even microorganisms call home. Each biome has unique climate patterns, wildlife, and ecological dynamics. Understanding these differences reveals how life adapts to varied conditions. The pressures are there all over the globe; in some regions this may be decline in rainfall and in others it may be greening of ice caps. The intensity and impact is what we monitor over time.
Health indicators
Green Tundra uses a qualitative system to communicate ecosystem health. We decided to use this approach rather than relying on numerical scores firstly to remove the gamified simulation experience, and focus truly on how ecosystems fluctuate naturally. It also gives us a measured opportunity to use metrics comparable to those from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) status codes for endangered species (not ecosystems), while keeping to observational dynamics rather than fixed outcomes.
survival
Survival can be a battle of wits, but more often, it is a battle of fits — fitness that is. Fitness refers to a species' ability to overcome adversity by its genetic adaptations. Some of the world's best thriving populations are invasive species, take grasses, for example. Invasive grasses, most commonly referred to as weeds, are so good at absorbing soil nutrients that they outcompete native species and agricultural crops, contributing to loss of crops worldwide every year. So it is not only about predator-prey relationships, but also primary producers who set the tone in the wild.
Living ecosystems
With Green Tundra, we wanted to create a scale indicating the health and success metrics of an ecosystem, and while based on principles from the performance of individual species within the system, we are not basing success on a scale of 0 to 100. At the top end we have thriving, and we need to be cautious with this setting. Thriving is generally perceived as being positive, but in living ecosystems, thriving, or the unusual favourable weather, and over-abundance of resources that influence population booms, is a delicate place to be for ecosystems. For us, as observers, it represents a peak that requires monitoring, not that a goal has been reached.
balance
Ecosystems and species once threatened and endangered can recover and once again flourish, with measured monitoring and clear expectations over time. It is a resource-heavy endeavour that requires commitment, patience and quite often forgotten, changing the way we perceive these challenges. Given time and responsible decision-making, both ecosystems and species can recover and naturally flourish again, so long as we continue to directly and indirectly help them along the way.
changing climates
Seanasol Research through Green Tundra aims to raise awareness into how climates are changing, becoming more variable, and that variability is growing far more unpredictable. We want to engage with the community to create an observer view into how climate dynamics impact populations and ecosystem health and biodiversity.
This page is for informational purposes only and serves as an educational showcase for Green Tundra by Seanasol Research. We do not collect, store, or share any user data, and we operate without third-party analytics, performance, social, or advertising cookies. Launching the experience will take you directly to Green Tundra; our web platform operates under a separate set of Terms and Privacy policies. If you want to learn more about Green Tundra or Seanasol Research, or have questions about our mission, please contact us at our email, [email protected].