Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 08/24/2011 - 18:21
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Adaptations of Marine Worms in Antarctica

Theodore is one lucky bear to be travelling with you! I bet he's the first bear ever to visit Antartica. Why do polar bears live at the North Pole and not at the South Pole? And why do penguins live at the South Pole and not at the North Pole?

Thu, 08/25/2011 - 14:54

Michael League

Thanks for the question. We're very lucky to have Theodore!You have hit a very common mistake people make. People ask us all the
time about polar bears. We won't see any down here - they don't live
here. They live in the Arctic Circle (think North Pole). If you
followed my friend Mark's journal from the summer, he was working where
polar bears live.
Polar bears have adapted to live at the Arctic Circle. They have
special body features and skills that make them good at living there.
Picking up a polar bear and transporting it to Antarctica probably
wouldn't be so good for the polar bear. Antarctica is a different
location, requiring different adaptations.
We might see some penguins down here though. There are two potential
types we might see: Adelie penguins and Emperor penguins. We'll talk
more about them in a later journal. When we do, I'll be sure to point
out their adaptations for living here in Antarctica.
So, now that you know all this. A question for you. Coca Cola runs an
advertisement on TV in the winter with polar bears and penguins
together. Is that even possible?
Mike

Thu, 08/25/2011 - 17:27

Stacy Kim

Here's something more to think about on the penguin versus polar bear concept. Bears of any species are found only in the Northern Hemisphere (except for the spectacled bear), and penguins in the Southern Hemisphere (okay, a tiny bit into the north in the Galapagos). Though they wouldn't be in the same habitat, there is one county in the world where you can find both penguins and bears. Where is it?

Thu, 08/25/2011 - 19:09

Michael League

Hey everyone, Let's see if we can answer Stacy's question. I think the spectacled
bear was a hint. Anyone have a guess?
Mike

Fri, 08/26/2011 - 02:31

Anonymous

I found out the spectacled bears and Humbolt penquins live in Peru and in Chile. The spectacled bear lives in the treetops in the Andes mountains. Of course you would never see a penguin in a treetop, and I don't think this bear would be seen down by the ocean. Coca-Cola is crazy to put bears and penguins together!

Fri, 08/26/2011 - 12:39

Michael League

I think this is on the right track. I was going to guess Peru. If youthink about it, you need to find either a bear that lives just below the
equator or a penguin that lives just above the equator to solve the
question. We'll have to check with Dr. Stacy Kim for the right answer.
Mike

Sun, 08/28/2011 - 17:17

Stacy Kim

You are absolutely right!
You could go from seeing spectacled bears in the Andes mountains of Chile to seeing Humboldt penguins on the Patagonian coast of Chile. We will not see Humbodlt penguins down here at McMurdo, but what two species of penguins will we see (if we are lucky)?

Sat, 09/03/2011 - 20:09

Michael League

OH! Dr. Kim has posted another challenge to us. C'mon everyone outthere, let's see who knows the answer? What two species of penguins
might we see here in Antarctica (if we are lucky)?
Mike

Sun, 09/04/2011 - 19:00

Anonymous

Maybe Emperor Penguins like from "Happy Feet". :)~Alli

Sun, 09/04/2011 - 20:09

Michael League

Oh, yes! Alli got one species of penguin, the Emperor penguin. I hopewe see one of those. There is another species we might see here in
Antarctica. Does anyone know the other species of penguin that we might
see?
Mike

Mon, 09/05/2011 - 12:11

Anonymous

Did you hear that they released a penguin named Happy Feet that was recovering from some injuries in New Zealand? I read that he is headed for McMurdo Sound. Do you think you'll see him? He has a gps on his back so we can follow his journey. How long will it take him to get to McMurdo?

Sun, 09/11/2011 - 04:05

Anonymous

I noticed no one has answered the question about the other kind of penguin you would find at the South Pole. My first graders read a book that said Emperor penguins and Adelie penguins live and breed in Antarctica. Emperor penguins babies hatch in July. Have you seen any yet, Mike? Do you expect to? Adelie penguins breed, beginning in November, on Ross Island, Antarctica. Is that anywhere near you?New question from Mrs. D'Annecy's first graders:
We wonder why seals are stinky. Is it because of what they eat? Is it mostly the males? Our hedgehog is a male, and he gives off a little odor sometimes even though we don't have a female to attract.
Give our love to Theodore!
Karen D'Annecy
mrsdannecy.blogspot.com

Tue, 09/13/2011 - 14:06

Michael League

Hey Karen,You and your first graders are right. If we're lucky we'll get to see
both of Antarctica's penguins: the Adelie and the Emperor. Although
Theodore and I haven't seen any yet, we always keep our eyes open when
we're out on the sea ice.
McMurdo Station is on Ross Island, so we're not that far from the Adelie
penguin rookery. Maybe, if we're lucky....
As for seals, it's funny you should bring this up, because our dive hut
was taken over by a seal yesterday. We went to go diving and there he
was! Our hut certainly smells today! I think it mostly has to do with
what they eat and the waste they produce. Up on the ice (or in the dive
hut), seals just go the bathroom wherever and whenever they feel like
it. That tends to make the area around them a pretty smelly place. It
could also be for marking their territory. Breathing holes through the
ice are pretty valuable, so a seal may try to make a hole smell like
them so that everyone knows the hole belongs to them.
Great questions!
Mike

Wed, 09/14/2011 - 18:40

Anonymous

Good job - we will see Emperors and Adelies here at McMurdo. Mike did not get to see them, but there were two Emperor penguins at the ice runway yesterday, the first of the season. This is very, very early for Emperors to be here so it was a bit of a surprise!