Journal Entry

Science Update

Last night we tried to reach our next sampling station before the sea conditions worsened. Unfortunately, when we got on station, the sea conditions had worsened to the point that we were unable to sample with the rosettes. The science team collected water samples using the flow-through system in the wet lab and we set a course towards land. The seas were very rough as we made our way south towards the South Shetland Islands. We awoke to wind, ice, blowing snow, lots of wind, seabirds, and seals.

South Shetland Islands in the morningThe fog, wind and snow make for an interesting view of some of the South Shetland Islands. A seal rests of the sea-ice while the RVIB Palmer approaches a seawater sampling station near Livingston Island.

The plan today is to move forward with distributing incubation samples (today is day 5) and to use the rosettes to collect new seawater samples at stations closer to land this afternoon. I realize that I have mentioned these stations quite a few times. While some of the stations are random and chosen by the science team because of their interest in the location, others are predetermined sampling stations that are part of an on-going research program called the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research Network.

The Long Term Ecological Research Network

A number of our sampling stations used during this research cruise are sampling stations within the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research (PAL LTER). This LTER is located near the only U.S. Antarctic research station north of the Antarctic Circle, Palmer Station. Palmer Station in located on Anvers Island on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Palmer Station AntarcticaPalmer Station Antarctic on Anvers Island. Photo by Nell Herrmann (PolarTREC 2012), Courtesy of ARCUS

LTERs are diverse ecosystems in the United States, Puerto Rico and Antarctica where ecological processes are studied over an extended period of time. This network was created in 1980 by the National Science Foundation (NSF). There are 26 LTER sites including those in the Arctic, Arizona, Georgia and Plum Island, Massachusetts. Each year, more than 1000 scientists and students study ecological processes within these areas. Some may study life processes, sea ice variability, the movement of materials and energy through the ecosystem or biodiversity. Data collected in these LTERs is collected in a open-source database available for use by other researchers.

The PAL LTER has been studied since 1990. The area is divided into a grid system with specific locations marked as stations. The 900km X 200km (560mi X 124mi) grid includes areas that allow scientists to study sea-ice habitats, oceanography, pelagic (offshore) ecosystems and nesting sites for seabirds all within the LTER. The grid is composed of parallel transect lines divided into sampling stations. The grid lines are 100km (62mi) away from each other and the stations along each transect are separated by roughly 20km (12mi). The data collected during this research cruise will be added to the growing database of information collected each year. Through long-term research, scientists are able to look at trends in data and create ecological models to better understand how the ecosystem can handle short-term and long-term changes.

Palmer LTER regional gridThe Palmer LTER grid is made up of parallel transect lines divided into sampling stations. Image courtesy LTER Network.

Comments

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 10:21

Cara Pekarcik

Hi Shannon - I am sure that the amount can vary per day. I don't know that there is a specific amount of time each day for sleeping.

On 2016-09-26 06:51, PolarTREC wrote:

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 11:21

Cara Pekarcik

In my research, I found that seals are perfectly fine alone. It is common to see crabeater seals in groups and we have seen Antarctica fur
seals in groups as well.

On 2016-09-26 06:43, PolarTREC wrote:

Sun, 09/18/2016 - 12:16

Artemis Mano

Hello, Mrs. Pekarcik ! Hope you're enjoying Antarctika!I was wondering how the flow-through system in the wet lab works.

Sun, 09/18/2016 - 16:05

Cara Pekarcik

Hi Artemis - I think I mentioned in the journal about Nutrient Sampling that the flow-through system brings water from just below the ship into
the ship's wet lab. There are a series of pipes and filters that the
water travels through. Scientists can sample from the different tubes
depending on the desired type of water (filtered or unfiltered). For
nutrient sampling, unfiltered water is used. For the FlowCam, water
that has run through a filter is used to help reduce the amount of large
plankton in the sample.

On 2016-09-18 11:16, PolarTREC wrote:

Mon, 09/19/2016 - 14:56

Vivian Tran

Hello Mrs. Pekarcik. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed reading the interesting facts from your journals, even though sometimes there are things that I don't understand. So, the station at Antarctica doesn't just help study diatoms? Do they also study other organisms such as the seals and penguins?

Mon, 09/19/2016 - 15:05

Connie Merigo

Hi Cara, I am curious about the poor weather that prevents water sampling. Is it high seas, wind, snow or combination of all the prevents sampling? Can you describe those conditions for us? My second question has to do with the seals you are seeing, what species have you seen?

Mon, 09/19/2016 - 16:07

Cara Pekarcik

Hi Vivian - I am so happy that you are enjoying the journals. Keep asking questions! I will try to answer any questions you have if there
is something you don't understand. Palmer Station is a land-based
station that can house scientists for various research projects. Even
the ship that I am currently working on (Nathaniel B. Palmer) can house
scientists working on many different research projects, not just those
on diatoms. The land-based station and the ship are ways in which
scientists can have a place to live and work on research projects
related to biological, chemical, geological and physical aspects of
Antarctica.

On 2016-09-19 13:56, PolarTREC wrote:

Mon, 09/19/2016 - 16:07

Cara Pekarcik

Hi Connie!! Thanks for the questions! We have had a few instances where sampling was not possible because of sea conditions. In talking
with the Marine Technicians (MTs) and Electrical Technicians (ETs)
aboard the ship, the major concern when assessing the conditions is the
safety of the crew. The second concern is the safety of the equipment.
The crew take into account the movement of the ship in the current sea
conditions. If the ship is not able to maintain position and/or the
stabilizers are not able to keep the ship from bobbing too much, it may
not be safe to launch the rosette. Large waves can damage the rosette,
the rosette could swing and hit something. The crew also looks at the
cable that helps to raise and lower the rosette. Too much tension on
the cable, or to little tension (think a bobbing fishing line) can also
create problems for the process.

As far as seals are concerned, I have seen Antarctic fur seals,
crabeater seals, Weddell seals and Leopard seals. All four species are
specific to this ecosystem. Be sure to check back on Friday for a
special Wildlife Update on one of these species. I just happened to see
hundreds (yes, hundreds) of this species today! You will have to wait
until Friday to find out which species!

On 2016-09-19 14:05, PolarTREC wrote:

Thu, 09/22/2016 - 05:25

Taylor Moser

Mrs. Pekarcik, You mentioned in your first posting that the PAL LTER has been studied since 1990 by a multitude of scientists. What would you say has been the most significant change in the ecosystem since the study began? Has it been a positive or negative change?

Thu, 09/22/2016 - 07:13

Cara Pekarcik

Hi Taylor - thank you for the question. I do not know the answer to this question due to the scope of the question. There are so many
scientists studying so many different areas of the ecosystem within the
Palmer LTER and each contributes information for a different aspect.
After 26 years of research, there may be trends and changes that have
been identified, but I do not know if they have been scientifically
analyzed. One way to begin answering this question would be to look at
publications from scientists that work in the area to see if they are
reporting on yearly events or long-term change.

On 2016-09-22 04:25, PolarTREC wrote:

Thu, 09/22/2016 - 07:50

Donald Hobin

How often does the weather become so bad as it did? Is that weather normal to the Arctic this time of year?

Thu, 09/22/2016 - 09:13

Cara Pekarcik

Hi Donald - The weather in Antarctica can be challenging at any time of the year. Typically, the winter is known for the worst weather
conditions. The winter season is just wrapping up - in fact - today is
the first day of spring in the Southern Hemisphere (and the first day of
fall in the Northern Hemisphere). The weather should improve a bit in
terms of temperature (not much, but some) and definitely in the amount
of sun. We are currently experiencing 40+ knots of wind and we are not
in the open ocean. The weather patterns here can quickly develop and
bring with them high winds and rough seas.

On 2016-09-22 06:50, PolarTREC wrote:

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 07:43

Julia Brady, Block G

In the above picture, there is a seal alone. Do they normally do that or do they stay in groups?

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 07:43

Julia Brady, Block G

In the above picture, there is a seal alone. Do they normally do that or do they stay in groups?

Mon, 09/26/2016 - 07:51

shannon doyle

how long do seals sleep