Return-Path: palmer@atsvax.rsmas.miami.edu Return-Path: Received: from atsvax.rsmas.miami.edu (atsvax-dn.rsmas.miami.edu) by crseo.ucsb.edu (4.1/SMI-4.4-Crseo Special) id AA16058; Wed, 1 Dec 93 18:58:47 PST Date: Thu, 2 Dec 93 02:48:07 GMT From: palmer@atsvax.rsmas.miami.edu Message-Id: <931202024808.22c109ca@atsvax.rsmas.miami.edu> Subject: SCIENCE SITREP To: palmer_science@atsvax.rsmas.miami.edu, asahq@asa.org X-St-Vmsmail-To: MSG%"PALMER_SCIENCE",MSG%"ASAHQ@asa.org" SEND PLM060.DEC MSG%"PALMER_SCIENCE",msg%"ASAHQ@asa.org" SCIENCE SITREP R 020222Z DEC 93 FROM: Timothy Newberger, S-032, Science Leader P A L M E R S T A T I O N A N T A R C T I C A TELEMAIL::PALMER.STA PHONE/FAX: 011-874-150-3157 SPAN::PALMER@ATSVAX.SPAN TELEX: 5841503157 PNHG INTERNET::PALMER@ATSVAX.RSMAS.MIAMI.EDU !TO ASA SHEPHERD !TO SPOLE NSFREP,MGR !TO MCM ASASAT, ASALABM, ASASUP, NSFMGR CC E-MAIL::ANTARCTIC.OPS, NSF.DPP.OCEANOPS, P.PENHALE, T.DELACA, R.HANSON, E.HOFMANN, R.BOOTH, O.HOLM.HANSEN, G.MITCHELL, M.VERNET, M.HUNTLEY, R.WHRITNER, D.KARL, W.FRASER, B.SIDELL, W.DETRICH, M.KENNICUTT, K.DUNTON, W.STOCKTON, L.QUETIN, R.ROSS, Sea.Space, W.TRIVELPIECE, R.SMITH.UCSB, GMCC.BOULDER(pass to B.Mendonca), F.AZAM, R.RADTKE, S.WEILER, SPOLE, DUKE, NATPALMER, ASAHQ, VLF@STAR.STANFORD.EDU, NSFMCM (includes all McMurdo addresses) KARENTZD@ALM.ADMIN.USFCA.EDU, CHAPPELL@UCRACC.SPAN, J.PROSPERO, TFOSTER@UCSCC.UCSC.EDU, DALLUGE@ATMOS.OGI.EDU, N.SWANBERG, R.BIDIGARE, NSFCHCH@IAC.ORG.NZ, ASACHCH@IAC.ORG.NZ Responding: Please insert in message, all CAPS, with the ! in column 1: !TO PAL SCIENCE,LABMANAGER,ADMIN,MANAGER S-013 LONG TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE ANTARCTIC MARINE ECOSYSTEM: AN ICE-DOMINATED ENVIRONMENT. William R. Fraser and Wayne Z. Trivelpiece, Seabird Component, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia. Personnel on Station: Brent Houston, Eric Holm and Tracey Mader. Access to local islands and study sites was periodic in November due to persistent pack ice and high winds. Pack ice (which was present for most of October) finally blew out from the inlet on November 4th allowing for normal boating operations to begin. High winds restricted boating, however, on the 7th, 8th, 11th, 17th, 25th, and 28th, but local skua and gull work (at Palmer Station) was accessible even on those dates. We continued to analyze last year's data sets and update current study site maps on high wind days as well. Population counts of Adelie penguins were completed during the first week of November to determine the total number of birds attempting to breed. Reproductive study sites for Adelies were also established on Torgersen and Humble Islands, and banding of these birds was completed. Known aged birds (n=30) were located on Humble Island and their nests are being monitored daily. A similar and comparative reproductive study site was also set up in the area on Torgersen Island which is visited heavily by "tourists". Adelie peak egg laying occurred around the 20th, and complete nest counts on all colonies in the Palmer Station area were completed by the 29th. We also obtained adult Adelie weights of males and females as well as measurements of their egg (at egg 1) for 50 nests on Torgersen Island. At egg 2, we obtained measurements for both eggs at an additional 50 nests. South polar and brown skua study sites are visited periodically (usually every 3 -5 days) to determine arrival dates of birds, pair formation, territory establishment, and egg laying. To date (11/30), half of the brown skua nests have eggs, and only 1 south polar nest on Shortcut Island. Diet samples are being collected on an opportunistic basis. Cormorant nests are being monitored weekly at 2 sites. Nearly all eggs have been laid at our reproductive study site. Kelp gull reproductive studies have begun on Norsel Point. 10 nests have been staked and mapped, and are being followed on a weekly basis. Eggs are being marked, measured and weighed as they appear. Diet samples and gull population counts also continue weekly. Marine mammal observations are taken daily within the 2 mile boating limit. On November 10, S-013 accompanied a group of media and distinguished visitors to Torgersen Island to discuss the current penguin studies in progress and to answer questions about the local wildlife. S-016 LONG TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE ANTARCTIC MARINE ECOSYSTEM: AN ICE-DOMINATED ENVIRONMENT. Barbara Prezilen, Production component, University of California, Santa Barbara, California. Field Team: Sandra Roll, TJ Evens, Bill Golden The Icecolor's '93 cruise ended November 4 and the Polar Duke returned to Palmer Station. TJ Evens and Bill Golden came on station to assist the LTER station season. Keith Seydel left November 7 with the Icecolor's crew. Weather cleared and we began biweekly sampling of the inshore Palmer gridline the week of the 14th. Once per week we have analyzed for nutrients, CHN, NH4, and Productivity-Irradiance curves. Pigment analysis (HPLC) has been done twice weekly. In addition a 24 hour time series experiment, two outdoor incubated action spectra experiments, and a three treatment time series UV experiment was performed. All remaining icecolor's HPLC and ammonia samples were analyzed. The pump on one of the HPLC systems malfunctioned and was shipped to the U.S. for repairs. New steel davits for the sampling zodiac were ordered and installed. S-028 LONG TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE ANTARCTIC MARINE ECOSYSTEM: AN ICE-DOMINATED ENVIRONMENT. Robin Ross and Langdon Quetin, Prey Component, University of California, Santa Barbara, California. Personnel on station: Holly Coe, Chris Johnson, Tim Newberger Field sampling has begun this month with the completion of the ROZE (Research Oceanographic Zodiac Experiment) and the trawling vessel (RV Rubber Duke). Using the ROZE, three weeks of acoustic data for assessing biomass and distribution of krill was collected along the two LTER nearshore transects. Collecting live krill for laboratory experiments, chemical composition and condition factor has been very successful this month using the RV Rubber Duke. The system for hauling the ROZE (See S-032 Sitrep) also worked well for the Rubber Duke thus the temporary removal of all vessels due to foul weather had little impact on our research. Three growth experiments have been completed and three series of krill samples for chemical composition and condition factor have been frozen. Three sets of standard oblique zooplankton tows have been completed, all samples have been sorted and major taxa identified and enumerated. Size frequencies of krill caught in these net tows have been completed. Additional samples from the winter LTER cruise on the Polar Duke have been sorted. All data has been archived and is in preliminary stages of analysis. Staging for the January LTER cruise on the Polar Duke is underway. S-032 LONG TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE ANTARCTIC MARINE ECOSYSTEM: AN ICE-DOMINATED ENVIRONMENT. Ray Smith, Optics Component, University of California, Santa Barbara, California. Personnel on Station: Barton Hickson, Tim Newberger. The Palmer area field sampling program was begun early this month with the completion of the ROZE (Research Oceanographic Zodiac Experiment). Three weeks of sampling with the CTD (Conductivity Temperature and Depth) and the OFFI (Optical Free Fall Instrument) have been completed at the 10 LTER nearshore stations as well as collection and analysis of water samples for chlorophyl analysis. Archival and preliminary processing of data is up to date. Foul weather in late November forced us to pull all zodiacs out of the water. The impact on our research activity was negligable because a system was devised to haul the ROZE out without having to dismantle it. Initial stages of preparation for the January LTER cruise on the Polar Duke are underway. S-044 EFFECTS OF OZONE RELATED INCREASED UV-B FLUENCES ON PHOTOSYNTHESIS, PHOTOADAPTATION, AND VIABILITY OF PHYTOPLANKTON IN ANTARCTIC WATERS. Osmund Holm-Hansen, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. Field team: Bruce Chalker, Walter Helbling, Rogelio Marguet and Virginia Villafane. During the month of October we started in situ incubations with natural phytoplankton collected at various depth near Bonaparte Point. Due to ice conditions in Arthur Harbor and high winds we were able to perform just five in situ incubations. Daily experiments have been performed with natural populations, as well as with phytoplankton cultures, which were incubated in a water bath at Palmer Station. These were designed to assess the magnitude of inhibition of photosynthesis due to UVR and relative sensitivity of different phytoplankton species. Long term experiments (10-15 days) are being performed with both natural phytoplankton and cultures to determine the synthesis of UV absorbing compounds as well as changes in species composition (natural population) in samples exposed to different portions of the spectrum of natural solar radiation. Two HPLC systems have been set up to determine UVR absorbing compounds in the samples used in the daily experiments. Ten strains of bacteria were isolated from natural populations and are being used in experiments to assess relative sensitivity and viability after exposure to natural solar UV-B and UV-A radiation. S-106 Stanford VLF. U. Inan, Stanford University. No personnel were on station. The system has been operated by the station science technician. Data were collected daily and prepared for retrograde. The sampling errors that had been plaguing the system were traced to an inappropriately connected cabled. The cable was removed, and the sampling errors have disappeared. S-275 UM/DOE Atmospheric Monitoring Program at Palmer Station. T. Snowdon, University of Miami; C. Sanderson/N. Chui, EML/DOE N.Y. No personnel were on station. The system has been operated by the station science technician. One sample filter was exposed for the duration of each week, and a weekly schedule of calibration, background, and sample counts was maintained. T-312 Terascan satellite imaging system. R. Whritner, Scripps Institute. Newberger/Kiyota No personnel were on station. The system has been operated by the station science technician. DMSP and NOAA telemetry were collected, processed, and archived. Both the primary archival device, a DAT drive, and the back-up archival device, an Exabyte drive, experienced failures. Archiving was continued on a third Exabyte device. A new HP-DAT drive was received on November 10, but without proper cabling. After a few days the new device was placed into service as part of a daisy-chain utilizing a borrowed cable and a borrowed DAT drive, and archiving was resumed on DAT. Ice images and ozone maps were produced in support of Science and Marine Operations. T-313 UV Monitoring Experiment. C. Booth, Biospherical Instruments. No personnel were on station. The system has been operated by the station science technician. Irradiance data were collected daily and transmitted to ATSVAX for BSI. Absolute calibrations were performed on November 4 with the seasoned lamp and on November 20 with the site standard. High voltages were dropped on data and response scans due to brightening conditions. Preliminary irradiance data and inferred ozone abundanceswere produced in support of Science. S-091 Seismic Observatory. United States Geological Survey. No personnel were on station. The system has been monitored by the station science technician. The EW component of the seismic station continued to be inoperative. The NS and Z components have been subject to spurious impulsive signals that vary dramatically in both frequency and intensity. No explanation for these "events" has been found. PLM060.DEC