2 March 2012 Giant Petrels, Sea Nymphs and the Polar Plunge

Each morning Dr. Amsler’s team meets at 8 a.m. to discuss the plan for the day. As you know, the team includes Dr. Amsler, Dr. McClintock, Mrs. Amsler (Maggie), graduate students Kate & Julie, and (for a couple more days) me. This morning was windy, so diving operations were postponed until the afternoon. Julie and Kate suggested that since I am leaving on Monday I should probably take “the plunge.” It’s a tradition at Palmer Station for first timers to jump off the pier, scurry up the ladder and plunk into the hot tub. This sounded fun, especially when Julie, Kate and Maggie agreed to join me. The water near Palmer Station is about 33 degrees Fahrenheit right now so I was a little bit nervous, but it turned out to be an invigorating experience- and the hot tub felt great!

After our quick plunge, lab work resumed. Julie and Kate spent more time putting together their Aqua Medic tables, which they’ve named “Thetis” and “Galene.” The names come from Greek mythology; both Thetis and Galene are Nereids, or sea nymphs. In Greek mythology, Nereids often accompany Poseidon and help sailors to fight dangerous storms.

Thetis is one of the most notable sea nymphs because she was the mother of Achilles, whereas Galene is the Nereid associated with calm seas. Given the challenges Julie and Kate have faced while putting together the tables, I think these were wise choices for names. I admire the tenacity they have shown throughout this process. The setup for this experiment is complex and involves plumbing, electrical work, calibrating the pH sensors, computer programming and a huge amount of logistics!

Each day the team gets closer to their goal of getting the Aqua Medic table up and running with live specimens in each microcosm. I’ve had many younger students ask me questions like, “What have the scientists discovered about ocean acidification?” or “Have they found a solution?” This research takes a lot of time and careful planning, so I don't have any answers yet. Julie and Kate will be here until May and I will be extremely interested to hear about the results of their experiment. I promise to report back about their findings.

Later in the morning I had the opportunity to go in the field with ornithologist Donna Patterson-Fraser. She is remarkable and her research is fascinating. Donna and her husband, Bill Fraser, study the various species of birds that nest on the islands around Palmer Station. These include Adelie penguins, gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins, brown skuas, giant petrels, Wilson’s storm petrels, and Antarctic terns. I will write an entire journal in the coming days about my experience in the field with Donna and the other scientists on her team. We traveled to Humble Island and Norsel Point to check in on some giant petrel nestlings and it was great. For now, here are some highlights.

When I came back to Palmer Station, I talked via Skype with 1st and 2nd graders in Blue Hill, Maine. That was a great conversation! Later in the afternoon I hosted my “Polar Connect” event and was thrilled that over 30 classrooms from across the United States participated. I was especially pleased that the whole research team was there to support me: Dr. Amsler, Dr. McClintock, Maggie Amsler, Julie Schram and Kate Schoenrock were all with me today. I am proud to know these folks and admire the important work they do. What an experience this has been.