Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 08:35

hey whats up jeff? my name is kris i am in 8th grade here in flagstaff A.Z. and me and my class are doing some scienc here at the pond for what kinde of sediments are in the pond, and testing for e-coli and it turnd out to be positive,as well we found a cray-fish in the pond and i din't know that they were a invasive speices at the pond, but turns out my teacher wants to disect it and see what is in it. oh yeah and turns out u know my teacher Jillin worsson. and she says some pritty nice things about you, and she is the one that is makeing us do this, but it is pritty cool writing to other people that are going to the expidition this year.

what will you be studying up in the antarctic this coming expidition, what boat will you be riding up to the antarctic, and do you think that there will be any invasive spices of were you are going?

                                                                                                  your pin pale

 

                                                                                                   Kris james

Jeff Peneston

Hi Kris,
Thanks for the questions!  Yes, I know Ms. Worssam and I think she is amazing.  I wish I had a teacher like her when I was in school.  
 I also think your adventures in the pond are great.  My students and I went on a camping trip last weekend and we explored some of the same water chemistry and quality questions on a lake near my house.
 Regarding your questions, I will be on the Swedish icebreaker Oden for 2 months in Antarctica and the focus of the science will be to measure the gases that are given off by the algae and bacteria that live in the sea ice.  We will also be mapping the sea floor and capturing seals so that we can determine if the seals are in danger of diseases.  Part of the reason it is important to study the seals is that the first people to go to Antarctica brought invasive species to that pristine continent.  The sad truth is that the sled dogs that were brought there introduced canine distemper, a dog disease that infected and killed millions of seals in Antarctica.  Dogs are no longer allowed in Antarctica because they are an invasive species.
Take care,
Jeff Peneston