Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 02/13/2012 - 14:27
Forums
Seafloor Organisms and Changing Ocean Conditions in Antarctic

Hi Ms. Herrmann, I sent you an email but it didn't go through, so.. I'm trying to figure out how this website works! This is so exciting - I feel like by reading your journals and seeing your pictures, I can experience Antarctica vicariously! I can't wait to hear all about the ecosystem and wildlife that you see there, as well as what you discover about ocean acidification. They're all fascinating subjects! I hope you're traveling safely! -Sophia

Tue, 02/14/2012 - 04:47

Nell Herrmann

Hi Sophia!I'm so happy to hear from you! Thanks for the note! I'm still on board the Laurence M. Gould and am traveling through the Drake Passage right now. We'll get to Palmer Station on Friday, 2-17. I'm happy you're enjoying the journals; they'll get even more exciting once I get off the ship. How is your equestrian training going?
Smiles,
Ms. Herrmann

Thu, 02/16/2012 - 06:21

Anonymous

Ms. Hermann - this is incredible! The pictures on your journals are absolutely breathtaking, especially the shots of some land formations and the icebergs in the ocean. I can start to get a sense of how vast and starkly beautiful the landscape is down there. It must be amazing to be part of a scientific team exploring part of the only unpopulated continent left in world. (Unpopulated by humans, that is - it seems to be the home of quite a large variety of wildlife!) What's the weather like there? You mentioned in your 2/16 journal something about taking readings of the surface temp. in the ocean - what is the actual ocean temp. at moment and how will it change as winter comes? Sorry, I hope you don't mind - I've got a lot of questions!! How did you get chosen to be part of this expedition? It sounds like a dream job, but it must have been very selective since only a handful of people make up a team from the entire US. What kind of experiments and field work will you be doing once you reach Palmer? How much of your field work will be spent actually on the water, and what kind of adventures will that entail? I understand if you don't have time to answer my questions now, it sounds like you're pretty busy!My riding is going really well, I just got back from a competition in Georgia. I also just got a passport for my horse, which is exciting, since I'm going to use it to go to a big event in May that Indy and I are just about qualified for. The competition year is starting to pick up momentum and I'm sure it's going to be a real blast.
Anyway, I hope you continue having an amazing time and I can't wait to read about the research that you and your team do once you reach Palmer! :)
Safe travels,
Sophia