Field Science: UC Chile leads research from the Atacama Desert to Patagonia

If Chile were a living landscape, the UC Chile Research Centers and Field Stations would be its lifeline—stretching from the Atacama Desert in the north to the Magallanes Region in the south, linking ecosystems as diverse as they are extreme. These stations offer an unparalleled platform for studying complex issues like climate change and the dynamic relationship between people and their environment.

Though some of the stations had been operating independently for years, the network itself was formally established in 2016. At the time, UC Chile leadership recognized the need to strengthen the university’s role in field-based research and teaching—work that is deeply connected to local realities, community needs, and regional partnerships.

Today, the network includes four official UC Chile regional stations: Atacama Station, Loa Station, Coastal Marine Research Station (ECIM) and Patagonia Station for Interdisciplinary Research. It also includes a UC Center, the Center for Local Development (CEDEL) and four affiliate entities: the Senda Darwin Biological Station, the Tantauco Park, the Magallanes Center for Biomedical Excellence (CEBIMA) and the Omora Ethnobotanical Park. (see box)  

All of this vital work is captured in “Field Science in Chile: Scientific Research from North to South”, a book by the Office of the Vice President for Research, launched at a ceremony on March 17 in the university’s main hall. The event featured a presentation by renowned geographer Pilar Cereceda, recipient of Chile’s 2019 National Geography Award and former director of UC Chile’s Atacama Desert Center. This is the second edition of the publication, first released in 2018. It documents the network’s growth—both in the number of stations and the impact of its work—through striking photographs taken by UC Chile professionals and researchers, as well as testimonies from faculty, students, and local residents.

UC Chile President Juan Carlos De La Llera described the network as “a truly unique and distinctive space that draws significant national and international interest. He emphasized the global research opportunities created by Chile’s singular geography: “These stations are ideal places for international collaboration, given the extraordinary ecosystems we have across the country—from the north to Patagonia. Chile’s beauty and ecological richness are truly unmatched.” 

Former President Ignacio Sánchez, one of the original architects of the RCER UC network, highlighted the ongoing challenge of living in and protecting Chile’s natural wealth. “Our university is driven by the new questions that arise from this reality and strives to find answers through field research. That’s why we created RCER UC—to cover Chile’s most iconic ecosystems and to build meaningful connections with local communities and regional universities.”  

Growth and Expansion 

From the coastal desert mist of the camanchaca (dense coastal fog) to the mouth of the Loa River, the central coast, and deep within Patagonian forests, Chile’s diverse ecosystems are producing valuable scientific data. These environments serve as natural laboratories for studying climate change, developing medicinal compounds, and understanding how animals and plants behave in relation to human activity, among many other areas of inquiry. 

In recent years, the RCER UC network has seen steady growth. Between 2022 and 2024 alone, more than 80 UC Chile faculty members and researchers carried out work at the network’s regional stations. The facilities hosted 30 visits from international collaborators, supported 28 research projects, and contributed to the publication of over 100 scientific articles. Public outreach has also been a key part of the network’s mission. More than 12,500 schoolchildren have visited educational initiatives tied to different stations: Desierto Vivo at the Atacama Station in Alto Patache (Tarapacá Region), Chile es Mar at the Coastal Marine Research Station in Las Cruces (Valparaíso Region), and the Regional Interactive Museum on Agroecology and Sustainability at CEDEL UC in Villarrica (La Araucanía Region). 

The scope of research has also broadened. “Many of the stations were originally established with a focus on ecology, biodiversity, and geography,” explains María Elena Boisier, UC Chile Director of Research. “But today, our vision has expanded beyond the ecological lens. We’re increasingly interested in conducting research that engages directly with local communities. That means opening up to new fields of inquiry, including the social sciences and humanities.” 

The network itself has expanded as well, with Parque Tantauco becoming the newest addition in August 2024. “We’re incredibly proud to have signed an agreement between the Fundación Parque Tantauco and UC Chile to make this 110,000-hectare park available for scientific research,” said Magdalena Piñera Morel, executive director of the foundation. While the park’s primary focus includes conservation efforts for the endangered Darwin’s frog and the Guaitecas cypress, its research potential is vast. So far, three different academic groups have already conducted fieldwork there, including faculty and students from the School of Architecture. 

Teaching and International Engagement 

One clear example of RCER UC’s expanding focus on the social sciences and humanities is the UC Center for Local Development (CEDEL UC), located in Villarrica, at the heart of the lake district in the Araucanía region. This ecologically rich area is home to many Mapuche communities and also has the second-highest poverty rate in Chile (11.6%, according to the 2022 Casen Survey). “Since its founding, CEDEL UC has promoted transdisciplinary work as a key approach to tackling local needs and global challenges, through collaborative, cross-sector efforts,” explains the book Field Science in Chile. 

Operating within this uniquely complex territory, CEDEL UC has built strong international ties. “We run sustainability programs for the universities of California, Washington, and Notre Dame,” says Francisca Santana, the center’s International Partnerships Coordinator. She attributes this success to “our experience in a biologically and culturally rich territory—a living laboratory for the study of socio-ecological systems that connects global challenges with local expertise.” 

Professor Pedro Bouchon, and former Vice President for Research, emphasizes the value of these international relationships fostered through the network: “We’re working with global partners to build a ‘network of networks’ stretching across the Pacific Ocean, allowing us to pursue pioneering, high-impact research—from the Arctic to Antarctica.”  He also highlights the potential for the network to become UC Chile’s “sixth campus,” expanding its role in undergraduate and graduate education, while deepening its reach through collaborative research. 

Teaching—especially field-based learning—is a central pillar of the network’s work. At the undergraduate level, programs like the one at Loa UC Station —located across the Tarapacá and Antofagasta regions—focus on preserving biodiversity and cultural heritage through integrated management plans. Eduardo Ortega, an archaeology student, shares how the experience reshaped his thinking: “When I first arrived at the mouth of the Loa River, I was only thinking about archaeology, but by  the time I left the excavation, my perspective had completely changed. The wetlands, the coastal cliffs, the ecosystems, and the communities had all become a part of me. Experiencing this place expanded my view and connected me to what was, what is, and what will be in this unique corner of northern Chile."  

Field Research 

In the Exploradores Valley, near the northern edge of Laguna San Rafael National Park in the Aysén Region—surrounded by fjords, forests, lakes, and rivers—you’ll find the UC Patagonia Station. It’s a site for hands-on teaching and cutting-edge research. “It is an exceptional hub for frontier research. Working alongside researchers and students has greatly enriched both my scientific knowledge and personal growth. The cooperative, welcoming, and inspiring environment here motivates us to explore and reflect deeply on the ecosystem,” says UC Chile marine biologist Sofía Hernández. 

“The university has taken a strategic approach by bringing all these fieldwork initiatives together under a single network and platform—allowing teaching, research, and community engagement to be fully recognized and valued,” said, Geography Institute Professor and station director Alejandro Salazar. “Being part of this network is a tremendous opportunity for the station—we all feel like we are the network itself. It’s not just something we belong to; it’s something we live and embody.”  

Meanwhile, in Las Cruces (Valparaíso Region), the Coastal Marine Research Station (ECIM UC) has developed one of the longest-running coastal ecosystem observation series in Chile and the South Pacific. A pioneer in establishing a marine reserve specifically designed for scientific research into human impact on coastal environments, ECIM is now a natural laboratory for studying local responses to global change, including climate change. “Today, ECIM continues to push the boundaries of marine research. Its current work includes exploring mesophotic reefs, found at depths of 30 to 200 meters in temperate zones, and developing sustainable applications for marine resources, with a focus on ecological restoration and small-scale seaweed aquaculture,” reads the publication. 

Here, researchers study phenomena that affect the area such as coastal upwelling (when deep, cold, nutrient-rich waters rise to the surface), artisanal fishing, and coastal urbanization. The work demands interdisciplinary teams with a wide range of perspectives, tools, and experiences. Their research spans marine ecology, coastal oceanography, marine conservation, sociology, coastal engineering, geography, scientific diving, design, and the arts, among other fields. 

“This is our oldest station, with over 40 years of history. It started as a marine biology research lab, but over time it’s expanded to other coastal-related topics—beach erosion, marine energy, and a variety of multidisciplinary science projects,” explains Sylvain Faugeron, ECIM director and professor in the Faculty of Biological Sciences. “For example, the Coastal Observatory Center will soon be working alongside the Las Cruces station. ECIM has evolved from being solely a marine ecology research center to becoming a broader platform for UC’s engagement with Chile’s coastline,” explains its director Sylvain Faugeron, professor from the Faculty of Biological Sciences. 

In Tune with Local Needs 

“We are a group of community leaders from Alto Hospicio. We visited the Alto Patache Station to learn about fog catchers and their functionality. As we are experiencing a drought, this project is critical and could solve the water crisis in our community,” says Isabel Novoa, President of El Boro Neighborhood Council. 

Located in Alto Patache, just south of Iquique, the UC Atacama Station hosts projects led by the university, the UC Atacama Desert Center, and other regional, national, and international universities. The research focuses on desert ecosystems, fog water, solar energy, microbiology, coastal populations and territories, climate trend projections, water availability forecasting, agricultural cultivation, and innovative architecture. Their goal is to become a global benchmark for research in hyper-arid environments, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. 

“The Atacama UC Station has brought together a wide range of university disciplines thanks to its natural features: energy, climate, water, life in extreme environments, challenges of habitability, and archaeological aspects,” explains its director, geography professor Pablo Osses. “And through RCER UC, we’ve managed to open the station up to the rest of the university, helping others recognize its potential for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary work. Each area of the institution contributes its expertise and efforts to achieve a tangible, integrated result.” 

One key aspect is its relationship with local communities, which has taken shape through ongoing exchange and collaboration. The station seeks to share the knowledge it has generated—on fog water, solar energy, and ecosystems—to help people better understand the 30% of Chile that is classified as arid and to contribute concrete solutions for everyday life and regional development. 

As part of this commitment to outreach and community connection, students and researchers often make their way to Alto Patache. The station also hosts art residencies, architecture and design workshops, and scientific and technological outreach activities for children, youth, and adults alike. There, under the sun, they wait for the camanchaca (dense coastal fog) to roll in each afternoon, while learning about the most arid desert on Earth, fieldwork, and its unique methodologies. 

Check out the book “Field Science in Chile” for more information.