CASP-ICE is organising a coordinated community sampling campaign for the 2026 northern hemisphere field season and the 2026/27 austral season.

The aim is to build an open, cross-site ground-truth dataset of snow and glacier algal abundance that can be paired with satellite, drone and modelling products. The campaign uses a shared nested-grid sampling design so that field teams can capture both the spatial structure of algal blooms and robust estimates of average abundance across sampled snowpacks or glacier surfaces.

CASP-ICE will support participating teams with shared sampling templates, protocols and, where needed, sampling consumables. The campaign also encourages consistent field imaging, including RAW image capture where possible and use of a 24-colour Calibrite ColorChecker for image calibration.

The resulting dataset will support bloom ecology, phenology, remote-sensing validation and future cryosphere-wide monitoring.

Read more about the campaign and download the draft sampling protocol.