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SIMBA Antarctic Sea Ice

Hi Sarah,

 How far from land are you? I am thinking your chances of seeing penguins will increase as you get closer to real land as aren't the penguins setting up their claims in rookeries right now? 

Could you ask the scientists if the ice has been as far south (as you) this soon in the season in the past? Are you seeing any icebergs? 

Killer whale questions-have there been any recent studies into the genetics of the antarctic killer whales? Is it still accepted that they are a separate 'sub-species' because of their coloration (more brownish and tan) or not? What say the marine mammal gurus?

Don't give up hope on the penguins! They will be where the krill is, and the krill will be, where the ice isn't. Or will they? A bird has gotta eat...

Warmly,

Maggie 

 

Wed, 10/03/2007 - 15:15

Sarah Anderson

Hi Maggie - thanks for keeping up with us so well...still working on questions from your students! We are at our drift station location now, not sure how far from landd, but we are seeing wildlife now. Emperor and Adelie juvenile penguins, not of breeding age, or they would be at the rookeries now. We are quite a ways from any rookeries, so we won't see large populations. A lead opened up overnight on the port side of the boat - I just looked out my window and saw a Minke whale in the water. We've had a regular contingent of Emperors watching our work on the ice.I've got a long response on extent of sea ice this far south from one of our scientists, I'll send that your way when I've had time to digest it. Lots of icebergs around, we've even named some of them to make it easier to refer to places!I asked our mammal and seabird expert your whale questions...here are his responses:
Killer whale questions-have there been any recent studies into the genetics of the antarctic killer whales?Yes, a analysis of one genetic marker was published within the last year in the Journal of Mammalogy. The authors argued that the data supported a conclusion that there were several forms, perhaps subspecies, of killer whales in the Antarctic.
Is it still accepted that they are a separate sub-species because of their coloration(more brownish and tan) or not?There does appear to be geographic variation in the color pattern morphology of killer whales in the Antarctic and all of the three apparent morphotypes may occur in the same region, though perhaps specialize on different kinds of prey and perhaps have different, but overlapping tosome extent, distributions. Some authors have argued that there are two species, some that there are three sub-species, and some that there are simply morphologically (and perhaps ecologically) distinct forms of killer whales in the Antarctic.
About to start a long day in the field - time to start putting on the layers!
Sarah