The McMurdo Research team, Steve Sweet, Andrew Klein and Terry Palmer, drove to Austin to give presentations to almost 1000 students at O.Henry Middle School on Wednesday. The researchers shared pictures and movies with students about what it was like to work in Antarctica and the purpose of their research project. Students also tried on Extreme Cold Weather (ECW) gear.
Terry Palmer, Andrew Klein and Stephen Sweet give a presentation to O.Henry Middle School students.
This was also my first time meeting Steve and Andrew (I had already met Terry when I visited him in Corpus Christi). I was relieved to find that they were just as friendly as Terry. The three of them were constantly joking with each other and I can tell I'm going to have a great time with them at McMurdo.
Chatting with the Polar Club
My favorite part of the visit was when the Polar Club sat down with Steve, Andrew and Terry after school. While eating Klondike Bars, members of the Polar Club and the McMurdo research team sat down and had a chance to chat.
O.Henry Middle School's Polar Club sit and talk with the Texas A&M research team.
Andrew Klein tells a story about Antarctica while visiting O.Henry Middle School.
The Polar Club really got to know the researchers by asking many questions. Below are just a few of the very many questions the club asked the research team.
What made you want to go to Antarctica?
Would you go to Antarctica if you weren't conducting research there?
What is the scariest thing that's happened to you in Antarctica?
What is your favorite thing about Antarctica?
What surprised you the most when you first went to Antarctica?
and my favorite:
- If you could be any animal from Antarctica, what would you be?
Question for YOU
I want to know what kind of Antarctic animal YOU would be! Read about some of the Antarctic animals below and let me know what kind of animal you would be and why. Click on the "Ask the Team" tab and create a new post to send your answer!
Emperor and Adeli Penguins
Do you like to look like you're wearing a tuxedo? Are you the kind of person that will be faithful to someone forever? Then the penguin is the animal for you! There are 17 species of penguins in the world, and 6 species inhabit Antarctica. Around McMurdo station you can find Emperor Penguins, which can get up to 4 feet tall, and Adeli Penguins, which are smaller (around 2 1/2 feet).
Weddell Seals
Do you like surprising people? Do you like to stay very warm in the cold? Weddell Seals are frequent visitors of diver's holes in the sea ice near McMurdo. They breathe air like us, so they have to pop their head up once in a while to catch a breath. Often times divers, like Mike League and his team, will drill a hole in the ice to dive into, only to find a seal popping it's head up into it! When not swimming around in the water, Weddell Seals are usually found lying on open land. This is to avoid their predator--the Orca. To find out a lot more about Weddell Seals click on Mike League's Journal. In January PolarTREC teacher Alex Eiler will be studying the Weddell Seals. Find out more here!!
Skuas
Are you a true fighter? Are you good at being sneaky? I didn't know much about Skuas until the Antarctica Presentation on Wednesday. Skuas are birds that fight with penguins down at McMurdo. My research team described them as "really mean sea gulls". Apparently Skuas like to eat Penguin chicks and eggs. They also have been known to steal food off of your plate if you are carrying food from the cafeteria to your lab or dorm room at McMurdo! Skuas like to dive bomb people if they are feeling threatened. Andy has gotten attacked by Skuas many times at McMurdo!
Polychaete Worm
Do you like to hide? Do you like to wear bright clothes? Then you should choose to be a worm! There are over 10,000 species of Polychaete worms, which can be brightly colored and are often found burrowed in the sand or in tubes. I will get to know Polychaete worms very well, since they are one of the organisms we will be studying. In order to get them, we will send a diver to the sediment at the bottom of the ocean and collect them. I'll be sure to tell you more about Polychaete Worms once I'm on the ice!
Antarctic Icefish
Would you like to have super powers? Well this is the animal for you! The Antarctic icefish have antifreeze in their blood, keeping their cells from freezing. This allows the fish to survive the very cold waters of Antarctica, which most other fish can't! They also stay very low to the ocean floor because they don't have swim bladders. They are the super-fish of the Antarctic! To find out more about this fish, read PolarTREC teacher, Paula Dell's page