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Predatory Spiders in the Arctic Food Web

Hi Nick,

I’m enjoying your journals and it sounds like you are having an amazing time! I had a question on my 'Ask the Team’ site - that was probably meant for either you or Susan. The question was... who discovered the toolik field station? Any insight?

Alex Eilers PolarTREC Teachers - 2011-12

Mon, 06/18/2012 - 23:26

Nick LaFave

Hi Alex!I enjoyed your journals, and in fact your Polar Connect event was the first one my students got to participate in! The question took a little digging, as I was getting a variety of stories. My understanding of Toolik's history is that it was originally set up as a camp to support construction workers who were building the Haul Road (now officially the Dalton Highway) in association with the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline. A group of researchers had been working in Barrow on the Arctic Ocean and were looking to establish a research area to further examine arctic tundra ecosystems. They specifically were looking for a deep lake that doesn't freeze all the way to the bottom, to compare to the shallow lakes they had been studying in Barrow. They found that Toolik Lake met that criteria, and moved a small travel trailer up here in 1975. It has certainly changed a lot since those days!
Thanks for passing the question along!

Wed, 06/27/2012 - 06:28

Alex Eilers

Hey Nick!
Many thanks for hunting down the answer to that question - I'll be sure to pass your answer along.
In the meanime have fun and make sure to get some sleep!
Alex