soon to be seal food

Extra Fun Times

2008-11-07T16:49:00.003-03:00

There were a couple other fun diversions on the way down. We watched as the lifeboats were tested (deployed and driven around). Also, we stopped by Frei Base (Chile) to pick up some drums of fuel needed at Palmer.

Spotlights illuminating a snowy night.

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Frei Base

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(photos: Nathan Hoople)

Field Camp Put-in, COPA

2008-11-07T15:59:00.016-03:00

Two field camp put-ins were planned for this southbound voyage, COPA and Cape Shirreff. COPA is on King George Island, and the group of four will be there monitoring the large penguin colony. This field camp is near Arctowski Base (Poland) in Admiralty Bay.

Cape Shirreff is on Livingston Island and the group of five will be there primarliy studying fur seals. The first put-in went well with COPA, but heavy swell kept us from being able to get Cape Shirreff in. They accomplished that one on the northbound voyage after they dropped us off at Palmer Station.

Both areas are specially managed areas because of the abundance of wildlife and science studies going on there. We had permits to be there opening the camps, and it was special to be there since tour ships are not allowed to visit.

Everything was moved to shore via zodiac; people, personal gear, cargo, fuel, food supplies, etc. My job in the operation was to be a "surfer"- a group of surfers deployed in the first zodiac outfitted with insulated dry suits. Our purpose was to be in the water on the beach guiding the zodiacs onto the rocks and unloading gear to the people carrying the stuff to the huts.

The first wave of surfers loading into the zodiac.

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Heading to shore.

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COPA field camp huts on shore.

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Landed on shore, unloading cargo.

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Curious Gentoo penguins.

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Standing on the green lawn at camp, outfitted for the job.

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(photos: Nathan Hoople)

Starting 2008-09 Deployment

2008-11-07T15:46:00.005-03:00

Well, another season at Palmer. I'm looking forward to this deployment since it's a short one- only three months. Don't get me wrong, Palmer Station is a great place to be, just not for seven months.

Alex aboard the L.M. Gould as we depart Punta Arenas, Oct-15 2008. The R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer can be seen parked at the pier. (photo: Nathan Hoople)

I'm looking forward to another fun summer of camping in the backyard, tour visits, a small population (26!), and new people. And I'll be home for ski season in Colorado.

My last memories of Punta Arenas- the historic cemetary and its funky pruned trees. (photos: Nathan Hoople)

Neighbors

2008-01-09T13:02:00.001-03:00

A lot of people ask about neighboring stations, so here are two quick ones nearby.

Port Lockroy, an historic site staffed by the United Kingdom, and Vernadsky Station, which use to be Faraday (UK) but was transferred to the Ukranians in 1996.

Port Lockroy with part of the Wiencke Island mountains in the background.

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Whale skeleton on Jougla Point near Port Lockroy- a sign from the station's early days as a whaling port.

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Vernadsky Station- notice the new fuel tank. Not only is the design very cool, it's painted black to keep the fuel warm when the sun shines. The warm diesel doesn't precipitate wax and clog fuel filters in generators... Palmer Station has white fuel tanks.

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Palmer, 54km.

An Early Christmas Gift

2007-12-25T13:17:00.001-03:00

Christmas came early last week. Three humpbacks showed up in Arthur Harbor two days later. We were able to get out in the zodiacs to get a closer (but not too close) look. The whales caught site of us and decided to do some people watching. They were friendly and inquisitive. It's amazing to see such huge and beautiful creatures up close in the wild.

Checking us out.

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Checking out the boat.

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Size perspective.

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Big tail.

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Right before they left, one swam under the boat and turned its belly up to us. Then it rolled back and forth with its fins waving in the water.

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A wave goodbye.

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"L" is for I Love Whales.

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Thank you to Rebecca Shoop and Stacie Murray for use of their photos.

Hot Naked Chicks

2007-12-24T16:26:00.000-03:00

I believe I will be getting more hits on internet searches now.

But really, we have warm naked chicks trying to keep warm around Palmer these days. Penguin chicks recently hatched and I went out to Torgersen Island with some friends to catch some of the action.

Adelie parent requrgitates some lunch for its chick.

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A skua waits for its chance to snatch a chick for its own lunch.

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Photos courtesy of Rebecca Shoop

Carleton College Connections

2007-12-24T16:12:00.000-03:00

At McMurdo, I had two random run-ins with people I knew from Carleton College. I had my third random meeting with Carleton alumni in Antarctica at the beginning of December.

David Barbeau is leading a team of geologists piecing together the history between South America's peninsula and Antarctica's- SCOTIA. The project is real interesting and worth taking the time to read up on. The team is working from the Laurence M Gould (another famous figure in Carleton history), and we met during the port call at Palmer. Funny how those things happen.

Tenting out

2007-12-24T16:03:00.000-03:00

Gentoos next to my tent in the backyard. The glacier is across the harbor.

A few weeks ago, I finally got my tent set up. It's been snowing much more this year than last, and just to get down to hard ground, I dug a four-foot deep pit into the snow. I let that melt more for another week or so before setting up the tent. But when I finally did, it was a beautiful evening.

It's peaceful out in the backyard. The hum-drum of the station can't be heard and all I hear is nature around me. A ten minute walk and I'm out in the cool fresh air. The waves crash on the rocks below, penguins make their calls all around my tent, and the glacier booms once in a while as it calves across the harbor.

Waking up to go to work is much nicer when I start my morning in the brisk air of the backyard.

The Joubin Islands

2007-12-02T18:03:00.000-03:00

Small Gentoo colony on one of the islands in the Joubin group.
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Since I arrived to Palmer this year, it has been a whirlwind of duties. Always busy, sometimes working nine days in a row without a day off depending on the Gould's schedule. After work, it doesn't seem to calm down because of community duties, organized functions, or just having to do one thing or another- not necessarily by choice. So sometimes it feels like TRUE personal time is harder to find here than my days at McMurdo. Most times, the work days are filled with day-to-day regular tasks, nothing special or out of an ordinary supervisory position. Just when my energy stores were on empty, another job had to be done.

Our regular zodiac boating limit around station is 2 miles. The birding group makes regular trips to the islands in the area in almost any weather, studying penguin colonies, giant petrels, skuas, and other birds. There is a set of islands to the west, over 100 in all, with propeller-eating shoals and exposed to the open sea, called the Joubin Islands. There are some penguin colonies and petrel nests there that the birding group also keeps tabs on. As one may guess, travel to these islands is guided by backup measures and careful planning. Okay, sign me up!

Only when a USAP chartered vessel is operating in the area AND the weather is cooperative, two zodiacs are permitted to travel to the Joubins for birder work. The vessel is in case ferocious weather pops up and blows the group out to the open seas. One zodiac is the immediate backup boat for any other trouble that may arise. Both boats bring along dry bags of extra clothes, survival gear, and enough food for 4-5 days for every person (there's plenty of clean snow for fresh water right now). Last Friday, the two birders set out for the Joubins with the Boating Coordinator and I operating the backup boat for the day.

The view back towards station.

It was amazing to travel out and get a real good look around. As we departed, Mount Francais, typically hidden as viewed from around station, came into full view. It was a wonderful feeling to be getting out into wild Antarctica- few people ever go to the Joubins, yachties and science groups alike.

A calm cove to park the boats. We heard seals singing underwater here.

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Though I've seen Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins before, I had not seen nesting colonies of them- only Adelies.

Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins.

Trips like this punctuate my deployments to Antarctica and remind me why I love to come back here... at times. These moments, experiences of beauty, break up the monotonous weeks that blend together and disappear too quickly, leaving me wondering where my twenties are going. Aside from trips like these, there are other times when my job's duties let me know I am truly a part of the science research (sometimes my work entails tasks that feel like I am a cog in a corporate machine, making me ask, "how does this benefit the program and the research groups?"), or greeting tourships and their guests to this amazing area... these times also draw my attention back to the good times I am having here.

But I will always miss my family and friends back home. And I look forward to the day that I can experience an entire year of real seasons.

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A big iceberg...

... with Chinstrap penguins.

A trick with binoculars I learned from my Dad.

Halloween and Such

2007-11-08T18:24:00.000-03:00

a beautiful evening on the porch

It's been a busy time here supporting the newly arrived science groups and keeping the station running. As you probably know, the ship has not been able to tie to the pier without the proper mooring pins in place. The ship needs to be securely in place to pump off fuel for station.

Two months ago, we were suppose to off-load fuel for the station to keep the generators running, which give us the electricity and heat we need. No matter, the station mechanic estimated we had enough fuel to last until Christmas- the plans were in place to fix the mooring problem well before that. The fuel level indicated in the tanks did not factor in the amount on wax buildup there has been in the reserves over the years.

About one month ago, the entire station shutdown- no power, no heat, no noise. Power was restored after a half hour. The problem was found to be that wax clogged the fuel filters and cut off fuel flow to the generators. Now, we had a real problem.

After reassesing the fuel situation, the mechanic found that we had less time than he thought. We had until about mid to end of November until the waxy fuel was too much to try and send through the filters. We need that boat to tie up soon.

So as you can imagine, the bollards have been the hot topic of conversation. One person even dressed up as one for Halloween.

Today, the ship has returned with the bollards on its way to put in a field camp on Petermann Island. We offloaded the infamous bollards and will install them tomorrow. The sites have been prepped, so hopefully all goes well and we will have fresh fuel on Saturday.

Pose with the Bollard Celebrity

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Some good porch time after work

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I was a dead guy with an old-timey dead-guy beard

Do Not Open Until in Antarctica

2007-09-30T17:52:00.001-04:00

Last summer I visited my family in AK. The night before I left, my niece Skye gave me present that said, "Do Not Open Until in Antarctica". So I packed the present, and it burned a hole in my bags I was so anxious to open it. Once things settled down after the hectic season opening, it was a nice sunny day- the kind of day you open special presents.

Opening Skye's present

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reading her special note

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Super shades, kleenex, and more! Exactly what I am needing on the cold sunny days.

THANKS, SKYE!

Hermit Island

2007-09-30T17:32:00.000-04:00

Since we arrived, we worked straight through until the Gould left. That meant we worked on our one weekend day off since it left on a Monday. We kept on working through the week and decided to wait until the next weekend to take that missed day off- TWO days off in a row instead of one. All right. To make it even better, the Saturday was my golden birthday... turning 29 on the 29th. I found out that most people outside the midwest have never heard of this- anyway, the people on station who are not from the midwest.

photo by Stacie

It started off as a beautiful day and we were able to go out in the zodiac and visit Hermit Island. We took our snowshoes to walk on all the snow that's built up over the winter. It was gorgeous. We left Hermit as the weather moved in and started to snow and blow. Before heading right back to station, we stopped off the shore of Amsler Island to watch some gentoo penguins.

photo by Stacie

We made it back to station and enjoyed a drink as we prepared the birthday dinner.

Pictures

2007-09-24T17:15:00.000-04:00

Sunset in the Strait of Magellan

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Sunset with sliver moon

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Snow in the ship's light beam

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Sea Spider in display aquarium on station

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Anenome in aquarium

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Shiny frozen flag

Palmer Arrival 2007

2007-09-24T16:16:00.000-04:00

Via the Laurence M Gould- arriving to the southern Anvers Island vicinity where Palmer Station is situated.

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Here's a good story for you:
We arrive to Palmer a day later than expected due to a late start and ice conditions in the Gerlache Strait. In Arthur Harbor for half a day, we wait for the winds to die down so we can tie up. We finally tie up after lunch. Just as the gangway is being slung into place, the stern mooring pin breaks and flies into the water. Cancel that gangway! With the stern line finito, the strain is shifted to the bow and both pins break simultaneously, also flying into the ocean. We're down to three of six anchor points, two of which exist in a temporary pier built in the 1960s. We let it go pretty quick and motor back out to the harbor. With the fuel offload obviously cancelled, we start operations the next morning with offloading passengers and as much cargo as we can via zodiac- this was completed over three or four days while others did turnover. The boat will most likely not tie up for the next portcall either. Hopefully we get proper replacements on that cruise, and the third cruise of the season can tie up.

It was a good time.

I worked on the back deck of the Gould offloading cargo (unstuffing shipping containers and passing them to the zodiacs or making the slings for the crane).

Slinging a load onto the zodiac.

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Driving the load to station.

Final Farewell

2007-04-01T18:38:00.000-04:00

Just before the Gould came in this last time, some Gentoos stopped by station right near the seawater pump house. We all took a break to check them out a little bit. I took the time to make a nice pose, too. Just like a senior picture for the yearbook, right?

Bye-bye for now.

Farewell Whales

2007-04-01T18:07:00.000-04:00

Fluke with Mt. Williams.

I had one more awesome encounter with some humpback whales, too. We weren't whale watching, they were people watching. About three times, the two whales circled the boat and checked us out as they fed around us. There was another boat out there and it checked them out as well. It was good to have them out there to take a picture for scale. It gets a little disconcerting when such a huge animal swims right up next to your boat.

The other boat for scale.

Spy-hopping.

Next to the boat.

Feeding.

Farewell Leopard Seals

2007-04-01T17:57:00.000-04:00

I have to confess that I've gotten lazy when it comes to taking pictures of wildlife. I like to go out in the boat with other people, enjoy the moment to the fullest, letting them take the pictures, and then get copies later. Needless to say, the pictures of the seals, penguins, and whales are not mine. But I was there, so it's an accurate account of what I've seen.

Not shown here was an interaction we had with a curious Lep following us behind the boat. We put the motor in neutral and let it check us out. It swam towards and away from the back of the boat, sticking its head out of the water every once in a while. It was doing the most amazing underwater acrobatics. Finally, it blew bubbles at the boat, believed to be a sign of aggression, and then opened its big gaping maw a couple times as it surfaced. That's when we decided it was time to leave.

Leopard seal on an ice floe.

Same seal from the side, showing its sinister grin.

Another good show we were lucky enough to see right off shore. We got to see this Lep chase and play with its meal before finally killing it.

Farewell

2007-04-01T17:48:00.000-04:00

The Lawrence M. Gould has been in port for about five days now and it's taking me back to Chile tomorrow. It brought the second wave of winter-over staff and offloaded over 45,000 gallons of fuel for the station. I hope to come back next season for station opening. We'll see how it all works out. Here are some pictures from the last month of my season- scenery and wildlife.

Mt. Williams shrouded in clouds.

Palmer Station seen from Arthur Harbor.

Curling

2007-03-10T08:07:00.000-03:00

As I start to wrap up my season at Palmer, I'm looking forward to visiting friends and family again. I'm particularly looking forward to our second annual Curling Bonspiel in Rapid City, SD. I plan on being there for this one as well- wouldn't miss it for the world.

Here are some pictures from last year:

The ice doubled for a hockey rink so we posed for a face off.

The Team: Phil, Scott, Mike, Tony.

In my dreams...

2007-02-14T16:29:00.000-03:00

This has been the season for prestigious visits to Palmer Station. In late January, we received Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne along with her husband. That was an honor and an amazing time to meet her and show her the aquarium and labs.

Yesterday was an even more amazing experience. Paul Allen paid a visit to Palmer aboard his yacht, the Octopus (view the PowerPoint tour of this yacht here). He was joined by his sister, her children, and a few friends including Dan Aykroyd and his wife Donna Dixon.

They toured station for a couple hours, and I had the honor of meeting them and showing them the labs and aquarium. We had time for a couple group photos after the tour.

That evening, we were invited aboard the Octopus for some live music. It was an incredible night I will never forget.

We are all so grateful for the wonderful hospitality Paul, his sister and friends and crew showed us and for the opportunity to show them our operation and hard work here at Palmer Station.

Clogs

2007-02-14T16:15:00.000-03:00

My knitting project this season was a pair of felted shoes. I got the idea and pattern from my friend Tony. I finished them last week. I'm hoping to put a sole on them so I can wear them around without worrying about wearing them out too soon.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

More Whales

2007-02-14T15:57:00.000-03:00

Last weekend was a little different. A cruise ship was scheduled to arrive on Sunday, so we shifted our one day off to be Saturday and work a normal work day on Sunday, giving tours to the passengers, etc.

The glacier in the harbor has been calving like crazy this past week. This combined with a north wind jammed the inlet and water off station with brash ice. Over breakfast on Sunday morning we spotted 6-8 whales feeding on a giant school of krill just beyond this brash ice in front of station. The krill group was excited about this since they now knew exactly where the krill were to go tow for them and collect samples. They needed an extra hand with the poor weather- after asking for volunteers from the community and being turned down, I dressed up and went out. It was an amazing show for about 30 minutes (tails left and right and we even had a leopard seal following the boat as we trolled for a little while), then we had to get down to business- towing for krill, taking water samples in and out of the school, and doing a CTD cast (measuring Conductivity, Temperature, Depth) in and out of the school.

Photo from station of the three of us in the zodiac, Rubber Duke, beyond the ice with the whales.

We were out for about three hours in the wind and rain. When it was time to come in, it took almost an hour just to push through 300 feet of brash ice being packed in by the strong winds. After a 10 minute lunch back on station, it was time for me to go back out through the ice in another zodiac to give the tour talk aboard the Corinthian II cruise ship. It was a very long day, but the morning was very worth it.

Just a beautiful sunset we enjoyed a couple nights earlier.

Gould

2007-02-14T15:53:00.000-03:00

I just wanted to post a great picture of the Laurence M. Gould taken by Zee Evans.

Whales

2007-02-04T11:34:00.000-03:00

I was out helping a group tow for krill a few weeks ago, and we were surrounded by two pairs of humpback whales (mom and calf) feeding in the same school of krill we were sampling. They came close to the zodiac just a couple times and we got some good tail shows. It was my first time seeing whales up close, or in general for that matter, besides Shamu at Sea World or the far off water spout on the horizon. Sadly, it wasn't picture time since we were working, so we completely enjoyed the moments without feeling like we had to take pictures, which is perfect.

Yesterday, humpback whales were spotted off station out towards Janus Island- not too far away. At lunch, I found Cathyjean and Bob (two folks I worked with my very first season at McMurdo), we hopped in a zodiac and off we went to find those whales. It was an amazing reunion for the McM 191 Carp Shop Supply crew.

We rounded Bonaparte Point when Cathyjean spotted them off the port side. As we got closer, we saw that it was a mom and her calf. They didn't mind us being around and surfaced right next to our boat as they fed on krill. It was the true moment of awe at their immense size and their calm proximity that drew a tear to my eye. Then, I realized my eyes were watering not because of the beauty in the moment but because we had drifted through the cloud of spray they just blew out their blowholes. I never thought whale breath would smell so incredibly putrid.

You can just make out the mist from the blowhole.

They were so long and wide. It was awesome to see them surface, open their blowholes to breathe, round their backs, and dive back down- all so close to us.

As our clothes soaked up the stink, we enjoyed the rest of our time with them. They would come up right beside us, release a big blow (as we held our breath to let the mist pass), and sink back down into the water, showing us their tails only a couple times. The calf spyhopped us a couple times, too. We were out for over an hour. And of course, the one picture I was right in line to get a perfect backside tail shot turned out blurry.

It's been a while since I've been off station- busy with work and projects, my world feeling small and stagnant- so this was just what I needed.

LTER: Predators

2007-02-03T16:51:00.000-03:00

This group concentrates on seabirds- penguins (adelie, gentoo, chinstrap), giant petrels, skuas, and gulls. They perform some basic observation of other birds but focus most of their time and energy on the former. They also do a little bit of mammal census (seals, whales), but another group not tied into the LTER focuses on that. The Birders look at populations, colony changes from year to year, egg and chick success, etc. All this is tied into climate and food source. We are at about the northern limit for Adelie penguins. Just in the past 5 years, this group as seen a major decrease in the number of breeding pairs and colony populations. Chinstraps and Gentoos, which are use to warmer climes, have moved in and compete for food.

Adelie colony census. This includes, checking nests for eggs/chicks, breeding pair observations, etc.

Transmitter on a Giant Petrel. This will record where they go when they switch out on the nest with their mate. Some have been tracked as far away as 800 miles from station for a two week period of time.

Attaching a transmitter to an Adelie penguin. Same kind of tracking idea.

LTER: Krill Component

2007-01-30T14:37:00.000-03:00

Krill are a type of zooplankton. They feed on the phytoplankton, and in the winter they feed on ice algae that grows on the underside of sea ice. They also use the ice to breed and hide from predators in the nooks and cracks. One krill is about 5cm long as an adult, and they live about 6-7 years on average. Krill schools are huge- I was out with this group and we found one school that was over 1km long, over 50m wide, and as thick as 38m in some places. There is so much krill in the Antarctic, its biomass is estimated to be greater than the entire human population.

Krill school on the underside of the ice.

This group is looking at krill populations from year to year and how it has been changing and/or cycling, among other things. Many other animals rely on krill for its main food source- seabirds, penguins, seals, whales, fish, and others- so it's a very important part of the food web.

Poster from the lab illustrating the importance of Krill in the food web.

Krill in the hand for scale. Photo courtesy of the British Antarctic Survey.

A good picture of a Krill. Photo courtesy of Benjamin L. Saenz.

LTER: Phytoplankton Component

2007-01-30T12:15:00.000-03:00

The phytoplankton are your basic, minute, free-floating plants of the ocean. They are like any plant you are familiar with in that they take up carbon dioxide and release oxygen in photosynthesis, using nutrients produced by bacteria in the process. This group is studying production rates of the phytoplankton in the area and under what conditions and depths they occur. They are also recording the yearly blooms that occur as the levels of water mix due to seasonal temperature changes. The mixing brings nutrients up from the lower levels and gives the phytoplankton more food for production. Monitoring this activity on a consistent basis will give them a good picture of how things change day to day and year to year and what may be affecting this level of the food chain.

Something interesting to consider here: phytoplankton are a good resource for taking carbon dioxide out of the air (where it is a major greenhouse gas) and into the ocean. If bacterial activity is high, it produces mass amounts of carbon dioxide for the phytoplankton to use; therefore, the phytoplankton will take much less out of the air. Also, changes in average air temperature, which affects water temperature, can upset the balance that nature has set for itself concerning yearly blooms of phytoplankton. More or less blooms will have an affect on bacterial activity (which decompose dead phytoplankton and use other byproducts from its photosynthesis), krill populations (which eat the phytoplankton), and other factors not yet considered.

Sampling in the Field- taking water samples and reading light levels at various depths.

Phytoplankton under the microscope. Magnification is about 1000 x.

LTER: Microbial Component

2007-01-30T11:49:00.000-03:00

Most of the science that goes on at Palmer is dedicated to the Long Term Ecological Research project. This project studies the ecological connections among the different levels in a basic ecosystem. The connections in this fragile environment (along with others at high lattitudes or high altitudes) will be the first to show the effects of global climate change. By studying the effects here, we can better understand what will happen to more complex systems around the world and hopefully act appropriately. And in the process hopefully eliminate the doubt about global warming and climate change.

Looking at the bookends of the nutrient cycle (the beginning and end to organic matter), this first group studies the microbial component of the ecological connection in the area. The bacteria break down organic compounds into usable forms of food for higher organisms such as phytoplankton (discussed next). This group is studying the populations and types of bacteria and how they react to changes in their environment. Therefore, how do these changes perpetuate up the food chain?

Sampling water in the field to collect the bacteria in the water at different depths.

Back in the lab filtering out the bacteria for further analysis.

Under the microscope- and example of one strain of bacteria they are looking at.

Buggers

2007-01-10T11:13:00.000-03:00

It's weird to think about, but there are bugs here- mites, ticks, and wingless flies. The flies (Belgica Antarctica) live in the dirt on the islands and feed on bacteria and algae. The mites and ticks are parasites that live off the penguins. Rick Lee's group, affectionately called The Buggers, is here studying these insects that live in the extreme environments. They don't migrate north like the birds and whales, they spend the winter on land, which makes these creatures a very interesting and understudied topic.

Belgica can freeze solid and lose 70% of its body wieght in water when it winters here. In the spring, it will animate back to life when temperature and moisture levels rise. It spends two winters as a larva, eating in the summers, then emerges in its third summer as an adult to mate for about 10 days before expiring. They have no predators and no parasites.

Collecting Belgica in the field.

The climate change effects on higher organisms, such as penguins and plants, trickle down the food web to these insects. In addition to these affects, Rick's group is also looking at the effect of increased amounts of fresh water in the local area from heavily melting glaciers.

A great website for teachers can be found here, and an article published by Lee and others aimed at students is here. Great information.

Ice

2007-01-10T01:58:00.000-03:00

As you may already know, a facet of my community contribution involves hosting Saturday Evening Cocktail hour. And in addition to making the drinks, I gather the ice that goes in them.

The ice at the bottom of the glaciers is over 1000 years old. It has been compressed to the point that it has little or no air bubbles in it. As the glaciers calve, you can find this ice floating in the local area. It is very dense so it sits low in the water, and it is almost invisible since it is as clear as glass when it's in the water. This is the pure freshwater ice we seek to keep our drinks cold. Hence, its name- Bar Ice.

So every once in a while, I will get some friends to help me go shopping for some good bar ice. We'll toodle around out on the water looking for a piece that is clear and just the right size to last us a while but still be small enough that we can get it in the boat.

Perhaps we were a little too eager about this one.

LTER Cruise

2007-01-10T01:01:00.000-03:00

The Long Term Ecological Research project (LTER) consists of four groups studying aspects of different ecological levels (microbial, phytoplankton, krill, and seabirds) and how those levels affect each other. Most groups are funded for only 3 years in Antarctica, but the LTER groups have been conducting research here since 1990. This gives them a long data set to extrapolate trends from. Consistent data is most important, and these trends will be a strong foundation for climate change studies.

So the groups set out on the Gould for a four week cruise. They travel down the peninsula and sample at the same locations that they have been for over 15 years. The volume of sampling and analysis, done from this large research vessel in 4 weeks, is greater than all the work they do from the zodiacs in the local Palmer area the other 5 months they are working here. So this cruise is an important part of this project.

As part of this year's project, Rutgers University deployed a glider from the waters near Palmer that will travel down the peninsula for 15-30 days. The glider propels itself through the water not with motors but by changing its buoyancy. It moves forward as it sinks and surfaces. All that time it will be taking readings of the water column (global position, water depth, temperature, conductivity, fluoresence, etc.). I was lucky enough to go out in the zodiac and help deploy it.

I will post pictures later on the separate aspects of each LTER component since each is interesting on its own.

Lemaire Channel

2007-01-10T00:56:00.000-03:00

While aboard the Rotterdam, the ship steamed south to the Lemaire Channel. It was too full of ice for the ship to go through, but we still got a beautiful look at it.

Rotterdam

2007-01-10T00:48:00.000-03:00

Last week, I was thrown into the part of my job that is boarding tourist ships and presenting a slideshow on the science that happens at Palmer Station. This ship had about 1200 passengers, so we had to do two talks with two seatings. It went smoothly enough. So that was a good introduction for the rest of the ships we'll visit as they come to station this year.

Gift Exchange

2006-12-25T14:12:00.000-03:00

It's Christmas, and tonight we will be doing a little gift exchange. Some people bring presents down, give gift certificates to online stores, make something here, or offer their services (a massage, do your laundry, or take your kitchen cleaning duty for a day).

With help from the carpenter on station, I made a cribbage board of the local boating area. The islands and glaciers are raised up from the water, and the winning hole ends at Palmer Station. Most likely, the gift will end up being donated to the bar.

After the exchange, we'll be playing more Koobs. It's caught on here to the point where we have so many regular players we all need to switch out after each game so everyone can play. Plus, there are people who'd rather not play, but they still love watching from a perch that overlooks what has now come to be the Koob Courtyard. They like to heckle the players.

Sadly, my game is not as hot as I look when I'm playing it.

The King

2006-12-25T14:01:00.000-03:00

A few weeks ago, a King penguin showed up on Torgersen Island. It's unusual to see these penguins so far south, so it was a special treat to go out and see him up close- they're a little smaller than Emperor penguins and live in warmer climes. But like Emperors, Kings still have such beautiful colors.

It was really neat to see three different penguins all right there- King, Chinstrap, Adelie.

Holiday Boating

2006-12-25T13:36:00.000-03:00

A two-day weekend for the holidays, and the weather delivers with a gorgeous day. Christmas Eve- sunny, calm winds and 42 degrees.

Some friends and I went out in a boat to enjoy the day. We landed at Delaca Island, hiked around a bit and enjoyed the scenery. Antarctic Terns, Wilson Storm Petrels and Skuas all around us as we scrambled our way to the top.

After a nice walk around the island and a short nap in the sun, we loaded back into the boat. Just off shore, a chinstrap penguin porpoised around the boat and then tried to jump in! He launched out of the water and bounced off the side of the boat. He tried three or four times, but never made it in. Perhaps he was trying to get away from a hungry seal.

We headed off towards Humble Island where a leopard seal was spotted on an ice floe. Sure enough, we found it. It probably had had it's big holiday meal because like my Uncle Laverne at every family Christmas, the seal napped in its recliner after the feast. I'm sure if seals wore pants, its belt and button would be undone.

Science Support

2006-12-25T13:08:00.000-03:00

Last week, the Birders needed an extra helping hand in the field. As part of the Science Support department, I needed to see what their field work exactly entails- plus, I was available. We left station at 5pm and headed to Shortcut Island. There, I saw the Birders attach transmitters to three Giant Petrels. These birds are very large, soar like eagles, and take turns sitting on the nest when their mate is away feeding.

With the transmitters, this group has been able to track where the birds go to feed when they're away from the nest and how long they stay away. Some birds have flown over 100 miles away at times, traveling below the Antarctic circle. In the picture below, you can see the transmitter mounted on the back of one of the petrels.

Skuas also make nests on the same island, so we continued with nest and egg surveys after the petrels were tagged. We paired off into two groups and walked the entire island to visit every Skua nest we could find. The birders surveyed nest locations earlier this season, and we found a couple new nests.

At each nest, we'd record the tags on the skuas and measure the eggs (length, width, and weight). Sometimes the skuas weren't too happy about it and would fly into the air and dive bomb us. One bounced off my back and another got away with my glove, dropping it about 50 feet away.

Another part of the project was to collect skua poop. Anytime we saw a skua do a bit of business, we'd rush to the spot, soak up the gooey slime with moss and seal it in a bag. We'd record the tag number of the bird, date and island name. Later, this poo will be cleaned and filtered in a sieve, hoping to find the tiny ear bones from fish the skuas have eaten. This helps the research team learn more about the skua's diet.

We were finished a little before 10 that night and headed back to station. I hope to go out again and help them another time.

Another Leopard Seal

2006-12-19T23:03:00.000-03:00

A deflated looking leopard seal was hanging out on a bergy bit in Hero Inlet today. It wasn't moving much, but I got to get out on the water and get a good look at it- I watched it for a while just stretch and yawn. Nothing exciting, but awesome to watch.

I watched it through the scope from the galley, and it was yawning a lot. I couldn't get a shot of it opening it's maw wide, even though I saw it plenty. So here's a nice shot of the teeth and pink mouth. I hope to see more of these as the season goes on... from a nice distance. But the natural curiosity of these animals could bring one closer. That would be very cool.

Dirty Bird

2006-12-19T22:43:00.000-03:00

So, there are these birds here called Sheathbills. They're scavengers, and not only do they scavenge remains of animals, they also eat seal poop. It's not uncommon to see this pure white bird with a smear of brown on its chest. Yeah, gross.

What's even worse is to see them with this brown streak as they pick and peck around the station's sewage dumping into the water. Hey! That's our waste from the kitchen and toilets! Sick little birds.

But we can laugh about the disgusting nature of our avian friend. The doors of the berthing floor are labeled with the pictures of local birds. I live in the Chinstrap room. I'm sure you can guess the picture on the bathroom door.

And you thought it was illegal to feed the wildlife here. Well, I feed the sheathbills every day around 9 in the morning.

My Favorite Penguin

2006-12-05T21:44:00.000-03:00

After work one day last week, I went out with my friend Matt in the boat. We had no goal that evening except to toodle around and take in the sites.

I had been wanting to see my favorite penguin, the Chinstrap. Don't ask me why, but I think they're the cutest of them all- they seem to have a squished face- maybe that's it.

Anyway, there haven't been many in the area (according to the birders). So I didn't have my hopes up that evening.

On our way to check out a big ice berg, we saw some little figures atop a small berg. My dreams came true- Chinstraps!

Views from around station

2006-12-05T21:34:00.000-03:00

View from the top of the glacier, looking SE to Mount Williams.

View from my office window (in nice weather) looking into Arthur Harbor and the glacier across the way.

View from my bedroom window looking into Hero Inlet. Most of the time it's just brash ice and water, but this day was an unexpected bonus.

Oooh, that smell

2006-12-05T21:31:00.000-03:00

I thought some people might be curious...

Thanksgiving

2006-12-05T21:19:00.000-03:00

A couple days before Thanksgiving, we had Pie Day where anyone who wanted to could help bake a pie for the dinner. With 38 people on station, we ended up with 31 different pies for dessert. As hard as we tried, we could not finish them that night. We were eating pie for dessert for days afterwards.

Traditionally, it is the Lab Supervisor's responsibility to make cocktails and bartend at the end of the week before dinner. I have been slowly accumulating the skills to take this duty over. For Thanksgiving, I dressed up a little to make the night special.

Leopard Seal and Ice Arch

2006-12-05T20:41:00.000-03:00

On a trip to Old Palmer (where just a foundation remains from the temporary station, constructed for shelter while this one was built), we got a call on the radio from the group ahead of us, "Hey, there are some cute penguins on this berg by Elephant Rocks- you should check it out."

They kept going to Old Palmer, and later we came around the bend- we saw the berg but no penguins. However, we did see a leopard seal munching on some fresh meat in the water next to the berg. Hmmm.

This was amazing to see. The seal writhed around in the water, tossing the carcass in the air a couple times before ripping through it. The gulls in the area swooped down for scraps every time the seal's head went underwater. It's head would pop out as it chewed and swallowed every bite. When its meal was finished, it noticed its audience and swam our way to check us out. "Yeah, no thanks," we said (in not so many words) and started the motor. Puttering away, we lost the seal's interest and it went back towards shore.

(headed at us)

After that exciting encounter, we continued on to Old Palmer and landed. A little hike inland brought us to a glacier and an arch in it caused by running water.

(view of the arch from inside)

There are so many beautiful things to see in the area. I'm so happy to have the opportunities to get out and about in a boat.

Also, the affect of global warming and climate change are so immediate in the area. The glaciers around station (and even farther away) are receding at rates of about 10-30 feet a year. Yes, the glaciers in Antarctica are melting. There are larger changes to come, and they will happen in latitudes closer to home.

Another major change in the area is the amount of krill (Antarctic shrimp, basically). They use the sea ice as a source of food (organisms growing on the ice surface under water) and a place to reproduce. In past years, there has been less and less sea ice forming in the winter because of warmer weather. Less sea ice means less krill. Penguins eat krill, other birds eat krill, fish eat krill, seals eat krill, whales eat krill. Decline in krill population stresses the populations of all these animals and many more. The main food source of the Antarctic is decreasing.

It's interesting to see all this and talk to the science groups working on the research.

That's my two cents.

For better explanations with pictures, charts, and 8 x 10 glossies with an explanation on the back of each one, please check out the December 3rd issue of the Antarctic Sun. As an added bonus, there's a picture of mine on page 5.

Beautiful Weather

2006-12-05T20:24:00.000-03:00

Last week we had days on end of the most gorgeous weather. The wind was minimal, the sun shone most of the time, and the temperature got up to 40. This week is much different: rain mixed with snow, blown sideways by the gusts of wind. This is more normal weather for the area now.

However, I took last week's opportunity to get out and explore on foot and in the zodiacs.

(above) This trip was taken with my friends Ryan and Matt (Palmer Station in the background). We started around 9pm and still had plenty of daylight left.

(above) On nearby Torgersen Island, Adelie penguins have made their nests out of rocks and keep their eggs warm.

(above) A Gentoo penguin checks me out after springing out of the water.

(above) After a fun-filled evening, we stop to take in the sunset.

Cruise Ships

2006-12-05T19:52:00.000-03:00

Ten cruise ships a year are allowed to visit Palmer Station. They bring tourists from all over the world. As part of their Antarctic adventure, the passengers take a zodiac ride from the ship to shore and get a tour of station. Part of my job as Assistant Lab Supervisor is to visit the ship (prior to the passengers' tours) and present a slide show on the science research that goes on in the area.

We ride out to the ship via zodiac and board through an entrance just above water level. The first ship of the season was the National Geographic Endeavour.

They have nine naturalists on board for the 135 passengers. One of them was Paul Nicklen, the man behind all the leopard seal pictures I posted to my site here from National Geographic. It was so exciting to talk to him about those experiences and others he's had. He autographed a copy of his article for me, and he came over with the Endeavour crew that night to have a good time at the local pub.

Before Paul and the crew came ashore, we were all invited aboard the ship for after-dinner drinks and socializing with the passengers. That was a great time- especially since they were serving my favorite beer, Monteith's Summer Ale (from NZ).

What a wonderful evening.

Kubbin'

2006-12-05T19:38:00.000-03:00

It didn't take too long to get rid of my dock rock, get settled in to station life, and play our first game of Kubbs (pronounced "Koobs"). They were a little hard to see, blending into the color of the gravel, but we've painted them now. There are already some regular players.

There is no ice to curl on, and the Bocce balls are all broken from playing on the rocks, so this is the perfect game. We all love throwing sticks at sticks after a long day.

Pictures Related to Previous Posts

2006-12-03T18:08:00.000-03:00

Here are some pictures from my roommate Frank. He was able to get shots when I wasn't. He has skills.

Here's a picture of some Commerson's Dolphins we saw riding in the wake of the Gould.

This is a great shot of a wave crashing and getting blasted with the wind while we sat off the shore of Cape Shirreff.

And here is a great shot of one of the bergs we saw coming in. The blues are so pretty down here.

The LMG as we released the lines. It sailed off at 10pm that night.

The day we first arrived, Frank got this shot of the birders heading out to a nearby island to observe the penguin colonies. Cape Renard is in the background.

Arrival to Palmer

2006-11-19T20:31:00.000-03:00

So after two weeks working in the main office, almost two days of flying, two nights in Punta Arenas, and five days aboard the Gould, i arrived at Palmer- a cozy little station on Anvers Island with a glacier in the backyard. In our spare time, we can boat out to some surrounding islands, enjoy the wildlife (penguins, petrels, cormorants, seals), or hike to the top of the glacier.

Later that night, i saw the most beautiful sunset across the water as the Gould took the State Department on their way. This picture was taken and stitched together by my roommate Frank, who traveled down with me.

It's hard to capture the scenery and do it justice, but this picture does really well.

So now i'm here and assimilating myself into station life. It's a very busy life, but it has its rewards. There are less than 40 people on station right now, and half of them are part of the science groups (though, two people are part of an artist group not doing science but taking molds of ice chunks to take home and cast into glass to recreate the forms and textures)- the rest of us are here for logistical support. My position as Lab Manager is to take care of the groups' needs as they arise and work with the rest of the logistical staff to get it done. On top of that, we all (and that's all 40 of us) need to chip in on monitoring radio communications, cooking, and janitorial duties around station. I'm looking forward to a great season.

Icebergs

2006-11-19T20:26:00.000-03:00

Soon after i warmed up with a cup of coffee from the galley and a visit to the bridge, we arrived in the Neumeyer Channel.

The bergs were beautiful- small, large, blue, white- they were all so unique in their shapes and textures. I hope to see more and more of them as the season goes on, but here are a few of the ones i saw.

The Final Leg

2006-11-19T20:01:00.000-03:00

Among the passengers on our cruise were six members from the State Department who were coming down to check on stations from other countries and field camps. Their purpose is to make sure the stations' actions and such are in accordance with the Antarctic Treaty. They were a nice group of folks. Also, there was a researcher who we needed to drop off at Cape Shirreff on the way. By drop off, i mean we would anchor down off the coast, crane a zodiac or two into the water, and shuttle people and cargo to shore. I was also suppose to go ashore to take pictures of the radioisotope lab they had in their camp for our company's records, so we could know better what we were outfitting when ordering instruments in the future. However, the weather had turned sour after our smooth ride across the Drake, and we were not able to land. The lady we were suppose to drop off had to continue to Palmer with us and wait things out there until the Gould was going north again- then they would try again then. A free vacation for her, and no boondoggle for me. Yes, very sad.

We puttered on, the weather calmed down, we watched a couple more movies, i napped, we watched more movies, and i went to bed early anticipating our early arrival the next morning to the Gerlache Strait.

I woke up at 4:30 the next morning, went on deck, and i was amazed at the sights. Off both port and starboard sides were some of the most beautiful snow-covered mountains and glaciers across the waters.

from Chile to Shirreff

2006-11-19T19:25:00.000-03:00

After finally settling (sort of) into life at Palmer Station, i have some catching up to do in how i got here.

Thursday, November 9th, i flew out of Denver to Santiago, Chile- a long overnight flight. We changed planes after going through customs, flew along the Andes mountains and arrived in Punta Arenas, a harbor on the southern tip of South America.

There, we enjoyed the city life- eating out, markets in the park, and strolling the streets. Their trees were hedged really nice, one restaurant served Beaver (an invasive species in the area and yes, i ordered it and it was delicious), and my friend Steve bought slippers made from baby alpaca that looked like he was wearing pomeranians on his feet.

Our second night in Punta Arenas, we slept on the boat- the Research Vessel Laurence M. Gould. This was to be our accomodations and mode of transport for the next 4-5 days.

Our trip was uncommonly smoothe. I have heard horrendous stories attesting to the notoriously rough waters of the Drake Passage, but i'm sure i'll get my fun on the way back in April (imagine suffering sea-sickness for days on end and never being able to sleep since you get tossed from your bed in the rough seas). But this trip was a gift from Mother Nature. We had clear skies, calm winds and waters, and we were able to get out on the deck everyday to enjoy the fresh air and commerson's dolphins riding in the wake of the boat.

Since there wasn't a lot to do on board, we mostly ate, watched movies, and enjoyed the sunsets. Everynight i was gently rocked to sleep in my bed.

We sailed on to Cape Shirreff...

Cute Pie for Dinner

2006-11-06T21:30:00.000-03:00

Some have been disturbed with the grotesque picture of the leopard seal ripping the head off a penguin.

So here's a nicer picture on the same theme: Gentoo Penguin Head in Seal Mouth. Though it may look like it, this is not a circus act.

More great shots from Paul Nicklen.

A gentoo penguin checks things out before diving into the water.

i bet he got eaten.

Where is Palmer?

2006-11-01T21:24:00.000-03:00

So, some may ask where this place is to which i'm running away. The best pictures i could find in less than 10 minutes on the web are below.

Palmer is in the Antarctic Peninsula, south of Chile. Palmer Station is not marked on this map, but it's about where the red line in the first picture points to.

here's a better general map:

My Title Picture

2006-10-31T20:56:00.000-03:00

These are some awesome pictures from Paul Nicklen, who photographed an entire series on Leopard seals for National Geographic. All his photos were taken within five miles of Palmer Station.

test

2006-10-31T16:43:00.000-03:00

this is only a test to see how things post.

nothing exciting here.

Palmer: