So what exactly have I gotten myself into? You can check our website (http://iceaged2010.mlml.calstate.edu/) and find out the details but basically in October I'll be heading down to Antarctica with DJ and seven other scientists, engineers, and researchers to investigate the changes in seafloor communities.
(http://iceaged2010.mlml.calstate.edu/people/)
Some of the crazy researchers will be SCUBA diving under the ice in about 28.7 F (-1.8 C) water to collect data about the organisms on the bottom of the ocean. The genius engineers, who we are calling gyzmologists, will be flying an underwater robot, SCINI, with the help of a joystick very much like the ones you use with video games. I'll be the educator who will communicate with students, hopefully from all over. I'll write in this journal, explain what we're doing, and illustrate what we're finding to all of you. I'll answer questions and lead webinars, live interviews over the internet. I'll also help in any way that I can with our research expedition if it's drilling holes in the ice, lugging heavy equipment, suiting up the divers, or rolling and unrolling miles of cables and wires.
Which of those roles would you want to fill? Would you be the scientist diving under the ice or asking questions, analyzing samples, obtaining information, and finding answers?
Would you be the gyzmologist flying and fixing the underwater robot?
Or would you be the teacher sharing the information and bringing it alive to everyone else?