Explore Anvers Island

---

How to Use Gigapan

Go on a Gigapan Scavenger Hunt!

Locate the following items within the Gigapan image above.  When you find all 8 challenges, leave me a message on the blog.  I'll add your name to the Gigapan Wall of Fame!

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Visitors at Palmer Station

This Palmer Station sign displays the distance and direction of the other US research stations.   We are 1744 miles from the South Pole!  

Station Tours

The passengers of the Ocean Nova cruise ship recently toured the station.  The scientists meet the passengers and answer questions about their research.  

 
Bark Europa

When the Bark Europa visited, we were able to tour their incredible ship and meet with passengers at the station.

We are the Visitors

Some ships are too large to visit the station.  So we visit them on board!  Here is the Veendam cruise ship.

The Drifting Visitor

Animals Visit Us Too!

Below is a video I made of an elephant seal crawling onto shore at the station.  He stayed in the area for about two days.

Explore Adelie Penguins with Gigapan!

In early January I took this photo.

---

How to Explore the Gigapan Image

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Explore Antarctica with Gigapan Technology!

Gigapan is a robotic camera (used by both NASA and Google) that takes a patchwork of images, meshes them together, and creates a highly interactive panoramic image for you to explore!   

Above I am using a Gigapan to take a 360 degree image of Antarctica from Torgerson Island (see image below).  I want to thank Paul Queior for his assistance with using this incredible technology at Palmer Station.

How to Explore the Gigapan Image

Step #1:   Go Full Screen

---

---

---

Go on a Gigapan Scavenger Hunt!

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

THE BUGGERS
Dr. Shin Goto, Natalie Harr, Dr. Richard Lee and Dr. Dave Denlinger (left to right)

Photo by Dr. Richard E. Lee Jr.

The adults of Belgica antarctica live for only 10 days during the Antarctic summer.  Although they are the largest Antarctic land animal, they only measure 3-4 mm in length!

Photo by Dr. Richard E. Lee, Jr.

In its two-year life cycle, Belgica antarctica undergoes complete metamorphosis.  It spends most of its time in its larval stage (above).  

Drumroll PLEASE!

---

Dr. "Rick" Richard Lee 

This is Dr. Lee's 8th trip to the Antarctic.  He is a Distinguished Professor of Zoology at Miami University, Ohio.  He specializes in entomology and adaptations of cold-blooded animals to survive in winter and in polar regions.

Dr. Dave Denlinger

Dr. Denlinger is a Distinguished University Professor at Ohio State University.  Work in his home laboratory focuses on molecular physiology of insect overwintering.  This is his 4th trip to Antarctica, and he has also worked in Africa and Central America.  

Dr. Shin Goto

Dr. Goto is currently on the faculty of Osaka City University, Japan.  He was a previous postdoctoral fellow in the Denlinger laboratory at Ohio State.  His research focuses on insect overwintering and the function of clock genes. 

Miss Natalie Harr (Nature Nat)

Miss Harr is a first grade teacher in Mantua, OH and serves as the team's educational outreach coordinator.  With her master's degree in Biological Sciences, she is connecting her school district as well as 30 other districts nationally with current Antarctic research.

Field Collecting 

We travel to several local islands and collect samples of Belgica antarctica using simple tools.  

The wingless fly lives in the substrate between the soil and the rocks.   In some places the adults and larvae are abundant.  But in others, few or none can be found. 

As we collect Belgica, we see other plants and animals living on the islands.

Once we return to the station, we immediately get Belgica ready for experiments. 

Our Research

Our experiments this year focus in two areas.  First, we are trying to determine whether larvae survive the winter by freezing or by dehydrating.  A fifth member of our research team, Yuta Kawarasaki, will be here from February to May studying this question.  Secondly, we are investigating whether adults and larvae can use changes in the length of daylight through the year to time their preparations for winter survival.

---

---

And, since there are no Walmart or Target stores nearby, I had to be extra careful to pack all the essentials for my six week adventure.   I was very happy to receive help from Crestwood Middle School students below!

Crestwood middle school students have been learning about Antarctica's remote environment.  They helped me brainstorm items to pack for my scientific polar mission!  Thanks for helping me gear up for my trip!

Safety at Palmer Station

The Zodiac Boats

This is a zodiac boat.  It holds 6-8 people comfortably to travel to and from the local Antarctic islands.  Before we can use the boats, we must pass some safety courses first.  

Safety is Priority

When working in Antarctica, safety is of the utmost importance.  Check out some of the hazards described above.

Antarctic Safety Training

Our first safety course taught us basic survival skills in case we have difficulty making it back to the station from the islands.   

Zodiac Time 

Man Overboard Drill

Below I made a movie of our "man overboard" drill.  While boating in the zodiac, we pretended a large bag in the water was a passenger overboard.  We all work together to rescue the victim.  First, we radio Palmer station for backup and point to the victim at all times so we don't lose sight in the icy waters.  Last, we align the boat carefully so we can pull the victim back on board to safety.  Once we mastered this skill, we practiced with real people overboard too!

Out and About on the Zodiacs

Below is a short movie highlighting our scenic boat ride  from Torgeson Island to Palmer Station.  Dr. Lee is driving the zodiac while I scan the waters for hazards.  This first sunny day brings the water to life!

Crabeater Seals

Here are some photographs I took from the zodiac the same day.  I really like learning about the Antarctic seals.  Do you?

Our Arrival to Palmer Station, Antarctica

Arthur Harbor, Anvers Island
Antarctic Peninsula

rucool.marine.rutgers.edu

Palmer Station will be our new home for the next four weeks.  It is the smallest of the three U.S. research stations in Antarctica.  It houses up to 44 scientists and support staff in all.  Right now, we have 42 people living here.   

Stepping onto the Continent

What would be the first thing you would do in Antarctica???  Since I am an avid hiker, the very first thing I did was check out the enormous glacier in my new "backyard!"  It is part of the Marr Ice Piedmont, whose cliffs rise above Arthur Harbor and Palmer Station, covering the entire Anvers Island.

Here I am at the top of the Backyard

Some friends and I hiked the safe area of this enormous glacier.  This area is actually called "The Backyard."  It was a 450 foot uphill climb in thick, icy snow.

For safety, we needed to first alert the staff of our plans and take a walkie talkie.  The safe zones are marked to help us avoid dangerous areas, such as crevasses and slippery ice.  Check out the incredible view!

To the Bottom of the World

On Wednesday December 28, 2011, we continued on our journey to Palmer Station, Antarctica.  Only 800 miles away, we needed to cross the Southern Ocean to reach our final destination.  Can you find Punta Arenas and Palmer Station on the map? Which mode of transportation do you think we need (airplane, ship, car, etc?) to get there?

Map provided by www.frozenfly.edublog.org

Here I am standing in front of the LMG.

---

Ship Talk

I had never been on a ship before, so I had a lot to learn for my voyage.  The following are some ship terms that were commonly used by the crew and passengers.    See if you can match them up with the picture!  


portside                   deck                           smokestack

anchor                      superstructure            propeller

bow                          stern                          bulbous bow

The answers are available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship. 
 

Leaving the Bay

As we sailed through the Chilean Bay, I stood on the bow of the ship and watched the beautiful blue water around me.  Then some playful animals swam alongside the ship wishing us a bon voyage!  These are Commerson's dolphins.  They have a distinct black and white pattern to them, making them exceptionally beautiful and easy to spot in the water.  But, their quick agility does not make them easy to photograph!  Check out my photos below!

The Drake Passage

The most challenging part of the voyage was crossing the Drake Passage.  Here, several ocean currents merge and create the roughest waters in the world.  Fortunately, we had a somewhat smooth crossing with only... 22 foot waves!  I pretty much stayed in bed to avoid being sea sick.  Watch my video for some highlights.

After discussing the Drake Passage with the ship's captain, I learned that he has experienced 30-40 foot waves during stormy weather when navigating through the Drake Passage on the LMG.  Below is a video that demonstrates a difficult crossing for a Russian ship back in 2006.  I never though that I'd be thankful for 22 foot waves!

Ringing in the New Year

It took about two days to cross the 500 mile wide Drake Passage.  Luckily, the seas had calmed down just in time for a New Year's Eve celebration. 

The Antarctic Peninsula

As we approached the Antarctic peninsula, the scenery changed drastically.  The fog gave way to majestic snow capped mountains, icebergs glowing in the water, and mysterious sea life below.  

On board our ship, there were many different kinds of scientists.  Some planned to stay on the ship to conduct research, and some were heading to Palmer Station like me.  One of these scientists staying onboard is Dr. Ari Friedlaender.  He studies the Antarctic marine life, with a special focus on whales.  During the ship ride I often helped Ari search for whales in the waters around us from the ship's bow.   Once we arrived in the Antarctic, he and his research team launched a zodiac boat into the icy sea to search for whales.  

You can learn more about Dr. Friedlaender's research by watching his t.v. interview below.