Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 06/09/2012 - 15:51
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Weddell Seals in the Ross Sea

who discovered the toolik field station?

Wed, 06/13/2012 - 06:35

Alex Eilers

Thanks so much for your question!I have forwarded it to PolarTREC teachers Susan and Nick - who are at Toolik now. I hope to hear from them soon!
Ms. Alex

Fri, 06/15/2012 - 09:54

Alex Eilers

The Institute of Arctic Biology Toolik Field Station (TFS) is a world-renowned Arctic climate change research station located in the northern foothills of the Brooks Range in Alaska at 68° 38' N, 149° 36' W, elevation 720 m. Toolik-based researchers have access to 87,000 acres designated by the Bureau of Land Management as a Research Natural Area. Our location allows scientists access to three major physiographic provinces of Alaska: the Brooks Range, the arctic foothills, and the arctic coastal plain. Toolik Field Station has been a major location for scientific research in the Arctic since 1975.Take a look at some of the research at http://toolik.alaska.edu/
Thanks again!
Ms. Alex

Wed, 06/27/2012 - 06:30

Alex Eilers

And here's a bit more information from Nick - who is currently at Toolik...'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!'
Thank
Ms. Alex