He National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) won the Martín Fierro de Oro in the first edition of the Martín Fierro Awards for Streaming Channels for his project “Stream CONICET: Bottom of the sea”, the live broadcast from the expedition to the underwater canyon off Mar del Plata. The golden statuette, awarded by APTRA, crowned a proposal that combined scientific dissemination, audiovisual production and massive reach on digital platforms. A while before, the same team obtained recognition in the Special Transmission category.
The content consisted of decades of work condensed into days of transmission: scientists aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute vessel recorded and narrated in real time dives, images of benthic fauna and discoveries of species in the depths. The series of broadcasts was linked to the campaign “Continental Slope IV” and was broadcast mainly through the YouTube channel of the Schmidt Ocean Institutewith personnel from IIMyC–CONICET and UNMDP providing voices and live explanations.
On the stage of the Buenos Aires Convention Center on Sunday night, Nadia Cerino, Emiliano Ocampo and Mariano Martínez They were responsible for receiving the highest award, as representatives of the team that worked on the transmission. The highlight of the event included, in addition to the presentation by APTRA authorities, the applause of an audience present who shouted the name of the scientific institution and that transcended the academic field.
However, in the Martin Fierro de Oro award speech, many spectators observed how emotion enveloped the three winners, who could only thank and personalize the recognition, dedicating it to the public and their family. Although it was a pleasant surprise that the highest award of the night was obtained by the maritime broadcast, colleagues linked to scientific research criticized that no use was made of the media space to question the budget cuts that the national government has been taking against the institute.
He Deep Sea Studies Group of Argentina (GEMPA) is a federal network of scientists that investigates biodiversity and ecosystems in the depths of the Argentine Sea, carrying out expeditions, discovering new species and sharing their findings with the scientific community and the public through initiatives such as talks and educational materials. This organization released a statement about the APTRA award on its social networks clarifying that “this is not an individual award, but rather a recognition for the entire scientific and educational community of the country that highlights the value of these activities.”
“It is paradoxical to have received the Martín Fierro de Oro the same week that cuts to scientific financing instruments were announced. The elimination of subsidies not only leaves projects and lines of research on the brink of disappearance, but also the continuity of students, scholarship holders and young students. A country that does not support basic science compromises its intellectual development and its ability to generate its own knowledge. These awards highlight the importance of supporting basic science from institutions such as CONICET, which historically promoted oceanographic expeditions and the formation of resources. Thanks to CONICET and active policies to promote local science, it was possible to reach this moment,” the message detailed.
The truth is that the choice that the jury ruled as the winner of the Martín Fierro de Oro was read by several media as a symbolic gesture that clashes with the public policy of the Executive. In 2025, the administration of Javier Milei It promoted cuts and modifications in the scientific system that generated complaints of defunding, cancellation of calls and loss of jobs in the sector. In this context, the public visibility and massiveness of the award-winning project were interpreted as a tacit defense of the public value of the research.
For sectors of the scientific community and part of the press, the recognition demonstrated that science can compete for agenda, audiences and cultural legitimacy in the digital field. The award not only recognized technical quality but also amplified a political-cultural message about the centrality of public research. The CONICET award thus opens a double reading that will surely continue in the next expeditions that are already leaving for the Argentine Sea.
On the other hand, the coverage numbers accumulated millions of views during the weeks of broadcast (journalistic measurements speak of close to 18 million views over 21 days) and simultaneous audience peaks that exceeded 70,000 people live, very unusual numbers for scientific content in Argentina. Beyond the metric, the audience highlighted the narrative and technical quality: in-depth robotic cameras, specialists explaining in accessible language and a digital pedagogy strategy that included educational activities aimed at schools and young audiences. That mix of rigor and closeness turned streaming into a test case of how science can build viewers without giving up complexity.
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