Empowering ECRs: Bridging the educational gap for polar regions

The polar regions are crucial to regulate global climate.However, both regions are quickly changing due to climate change [1].With environmental changes succeeding at a fast pace, there is an increasing need for public awareness and action to tackle these complex and interdisciplinary challenges.The importance of education and outreach to raise awareness among civil society was recently highlighted during the Paris Call for Glaciers and Poles signed in Paris [2].In this opinion piece, we highlight the importance of Early Career Researchers (ECRs) as emerging professionals working in several disciplines.ECRs are an essential role regarding the enhancement of environmental education and outreach activities about polar regions, bridging the gap between the traditionally complex scientific language and the public.Climate change has its epicenter in the polar regions, where immediate consequences of warming, acidification, freshening, changes in circulation patterns, among others, have been documented [3,4].For example, from March to September 2023, the Arctic ice coverage decreased from its maximum extent of 14.62 million km 2 to just 4.23 million km 2 (below the 1981-2010 average minimum), representing a loss of an area equivalent to the entire continental territory of the United States of America [5].This has prompted a surge in human activities (e.g.mining, tourism, military presence) in the Arctic, leading to increasing geopolitical tensions in the area [6,7].Similarly, 2023 hit a new record low of sea ice in Antarctica [8,9].The lower sea ice extent not only has profound impacts on climate with changes in the albedo, increasing the heat absorption by the ice free ocean, but also impacts animals that highly depend on the sea ice.For example, the low extent and early break of the sea ice in 2022 lead to an unprecedented breeding failure of the iconic species of emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) in the Bellingshausen Sea region [10].Constant negative records and climate extreme events in both polar regions leave little room for optimism.Nevertheless, the complex scientific language and acronym usage are often associated with polar science has, in many cases, limited comprehension by the public, being an obstacle to effective communication and policy advocacy.In this context, ECRs emerge as a well-positioned group to bridge the gap between science and the public.ECRs are professionals recently graduated in their respective disciplines and represent the new generation of scientists that not only conduct critical research but also have a unique talent for translating complex scientific concepts into simple and compelling stories.Leadership, networking, and education and outreach are examples that became essential in addition to our field-specific knowledge.Defining an ECR can be complex because different thresholds can be used.Here, we considered every researcher up to 5 years after concluding their last degree.They are a critical part of the scientific community that stand out among peers by gaining both specialized expertise and transferable "soft skills".Several characteristics