The Crary Science Lab is the heart of Antarctic research. The building has 3 "Phases" or levels; each level houses different disciplines of science. Our office is in Phase 2 which is the Earth/Space sciences. Those scientists who need access to labs to conduct experiments have equipment, materials, and ample lab space at their disposal. Many researchers who are here do not conduct their experiments while in Antarctica. Some, like my team, spend their season collecting samples which are then transported via a variety of methods back to their home institution.
Chemistry experiment in Crary Lab, McMurdo Station.
Penguin researcher in the field.
Seal sporting an underwater camera/GPS unit. This allows researchers to see what the seal is doing/seeing and the GPS unit tracks its location every time the seal surfaces.
John Stone's portion of the research will be collecting rock samples from the field which will be boxed up and sent back to the University of Washington via ship in February. He won't receive his samples until May. Brenda Hall will be collecting two different types of samples: rocks and algae. She will ship the rocks home in the same manner as John, but the algae will be flown home. In order to remove any materials from Antarctica, a special permit is required. John and Brenda have rock collection permits and Brenda also has a permit from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - required for bringing live organisms into the United States.
However, there are some researchers who not only collect samples in Antarctica but also study these samples in the Crary Lab. One very interesting place to see some of this research is in the Antarctic Aquarium. Right now, mid-December, McMurdo is in a sort of transition between field seasons. Many teams are leaving, already having conducted their research, and many more are arriving and preparing to go into the field (like us). So, there was only one experiment currently going on in the aquarium. For these experiments, organisms are collected and samples taken. One of the many interesting discoveries made from the study of Antarctic marine life is that these organisms have an "anti-freeze" protein in their tissues. This keeps them from freezing solid in the very cold temperatures.
To learn more about Antarctic fish and the antifreeze protein, go to: http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/antarctica/ideas/fish.html
The most interesting thing there at the moment is the touch tank. In the tank are marine organisms that are found on the sea floor underneath the sea ice. There is a surprising abundance of life in the Southern Ocean because out of the entire continent, underwater is the most hospitable. Here, the temperature remains relatively constant, fluctuating only a few degrees and there's no wind. Any weather changes that occur on land go unnoticed by benthic (sea floor) organisms. Not only are there the usual vertebrates that one thinks of, but there are also invertebrates that many only think of as living in warmer waters, and they're surprisingly colorful. There are a wide variety of anemone, sponges, sea stars (starfish), brittle stars, snails, tunicates (includes sea squirts), isopods, and shellfish.
Colorful purple sea star.
Underside of the purple sea star. Sea star is the preferred name because the term starfish leads people to think that they are fish when they are actually echinoderms.
It was amazing to be able to touch these organisms! You wouldn't want to touch them for very long, because the water is kept as cold as the oceans surrounding Ross Island. My favorite organism is the anemone. If you gently touch your finger to the center of their tentacles, they gently close around your finger. That's because they think you are food. if you were a tiny, delectable morsel, their tentacles would deliver a fatal sting and you'd be dinner. However, because we aren't food, all you'd feel is a tickle.
Pretty little apricot colored anemone
This little guy doesn't carry his home with him. Although he doesn't have a shell, he is still considered to be a snail. I never knew such a critter existed!
Antarctica holds a world of curiosities for the inquisitive. No matter which field of science you may be interested in, you can find a place for it here. For more information about current and past scientific research in specific disciplines, go to the following links:
Biology: http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/science/index.cfm?cat=The%20Biological%20World
Space & Atmospheric Sciences: http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/science/index.cfm?cat=Space%20and%20Atmospheric%20Physics
Earth Sciences: http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/science/index.cfm?cat=Earth
Ice & Snow: http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/science/index.cfm?cat=Ice%20and%20Snow
Oceans & Atmosphere: http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/science/index.cfm?cat=Ice%20and%20Snow
The underside of an isopod. This creepy-crawly critter is related to the pillbugs or sowbugs you find under rocks in your yard.