We set sail this morning and are headed to the Antarctic. It was a beautiful day as we traveled through the Magellan Straits. Lots of birds following us for a bit, later there were some Commerson dolphins zipping along the boat as we steamed ahead.
Commerson's dolphins are really quick and very hard to photograph. At least for amatuers like me.
They look like mini-Orca whales and they are the fastest swimming dolphin in existence. This is the best shot I could get of them as they really are super fast and rarely leap out of the water.
This is a good time to introduce the science team that I will be working with while on this trip. It's a great group and I think we'll get a lot done and have a lot of fun doing it.
Here we are in front of the R/V Laurence M. Gould just before we boarded. (l to r - me, Irina, Kristin, Devin, Lisa)
Kristin O'Brien is the Lead Principal Investigator for this study where we are investigating thermal tolerance in Antarctic notothenioid fishes. She is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks.
Dr. Kristin O'Brien (right) is the Principal Investigator for the research. This was taken during my training in Fairbanks earlier this year.
I actually met her and Irina (her grad student and also on this trip) when I was up in Fairbanks for PolarTREC training at the end of February.
Irina Mueller in the square in Punta Arenas
Irina Mueller is a PhD student studying under Kristin in Fairbanks. She is studying the unusual structure of the icefishes mitochondria. Lisa Crockett is based out of Ohio University (OU) in Athens, Ohio and has been working with Kristin for many years. Both she and Kristin worked under Dr. Bruce Sidell who is quite a figure in Antarctic icefish research. Sadly he recently died but his work and his legend live on. You can read about him on my main page. I'll have more on him in a future journal. Lisa's father, Freddie Crockett, accompanied Byrd's first Antarctic expedition back in 1928.
Dr. Lisa Crockett - 2nd generation Antarctic explorer, esteemed researcher and hat specialist
She teaches Physiology and Biochemistry at OU and, as you can see in the picture, is a collector of fine headgear. Devin Devor is a Masters' student who is studying under Lisa at OU. As you can see, he has a real touch with the wildlife in the area. They just love him.
Devon just has a way with the natural wildlife down here. This little penguin took to him immediately.
They would all be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding our study of icefishes, the Antarctic region, or in whatever other way they can be of some help. So keep them on their toes.
So, I'm not going to reveal the answers to the Chilean geology questions but I can show you were that gear was from. If you remember I told you it was 'naut' what you might think as in not nautical. It was a gear in this really nice clock that was out along the coast in Punta Arenas near the AGUNSA office where we got our 'ECW' gear - Extreme Cold Weather gear.
That picture of the gear was part of this clock that sits at the waterfront in Punta Arenas.
Stay tuned for a video tour of the ship and another high fashion moment from my glamorous life on board the R/V Laurence M. Gould. Who knew I would reach such elegant heights in the fashion world...and during a disaster drill, no less.