Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 12/30/2008 - 15:42
Forums
Oden Antarctic Expedition 08

hi Uncle Jeff,

 I was just wondering about a few things!

!. How do krill stay warm? it seems as if they only have one layer of skin that is not very thick!

2. Does everyone on the Oden celebrate New Years Eve?

 

  Thanks for answering these couple of questions and thanks for the great pictures and videos!

                                       Lots of love,

                                        Rachel <3

P.S. I got my expanders in yesterday!

Wed, 12/31/2008 - 12:43

Jeff Peneston

Rachel,
Krill don’t need to stay warm.  They are cold blooded invertebrates.  As a warm blooded mammal, you and I have to eat extra food so that our bodies can use part of the fuel to raise our body temperature to about 98-99?F.  This rise in temperature allows our bodies to function in faster ways than cold blooded animals like fish, insects, reptiles and crustaceans.  Krill are crustaceans and so their bodies are the same temperature as the seawater around them.  As long as the water does not freeze solid, the krill can live just fine.  Actually, the krill’s body chemistry keeps it from freezing even if the water around it is a little below freezing.  Everyone on the Oden will celebrate New Year’s eve tomorrow just like you.  We will have a party with a nice meal and we will count down until midnight and welcome the new year.   Congratulations on getting your expanders!  They worked very well for your cousin and I am sure you will do just as well as he did with them.  I am glad that you like my journals and my videos.  The new one for today is all about the day I just spent helping the seal research team.   As your loving uncle I will warn you, you might not like the last photo in that journal.   
Lots of love back at you,
Uncle Jeff