Dispatches from Ice

Summer is officially underway each year when the Palmer LTER marine scientists head out to Palmer Station. Each year in the Austral summer (Jan-Feb) Palmer LTER has a 38 day oceanographic cruise to observe ecological conditions along the west Antarctic Peninsula. The focus of operations is the LTER sampling grid, a 700 x 200 km region extending from Palmer Station on Anvers Island in the north to Charcot Island in the south, and from the nearshore zone to the open sea beyond the continental shelf. Sea bird ecologist, physical oceanographers, chemists, and biologists, journalists, technicians, educators and students all get the ultimate opportunity to delve into the field and test hypothesis to some of the most complex ecological issues facing the marine environment of the western Antarctic Peninsula. This spectacular ecosystem is documented each year through a set of diverse blogs some launched from the station and others directly from the ship. Investigate for yourself and learn about one of the most phenomenal places on Earth!

2011 Field Season

Palmer - 2011 Field Season - Out 2 See: Sights, Sounds & Science : Field correspondent Ken Legg

Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) Logan Science Journalism Program - A Palmer Station Field Journal with accounts from MBL 2011 fellows Jennifer Bogo, Jane Qui, and Susan Moran lead by Christopher Neil.

RUCOLD? Freezing in the Name of Science! - Rutgers University Cosee Now blog Michael Garzio, Kaycee Coleman, Travis Miles

Life at an Antarctic Outpost by Jennifer Bogo senior science editor of Popular Mechanics Magazine

Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) Blogs - Debbie Steinberg, Kate Ruck, Lori Price

Archived Blogs

January 2010 Polar Cruise Blog

Palmer LTER Education and Outreach coordinator Beth Simmons is spending her Christmas and New Years participating in this years Antarctic summer field research. A part of the zooplankton research team, she is recording changes in plankton biomass and abundance along the Western Antarctic peninsula. The experience goes LIVE as she connects with Rancho Bernardo High school in San Diego, California from Palmer station sharing with students at her former classroom a birds eye view of the station and the surrounding Antarctic environment.
Blog | Announcement

December 2009 Science Journalism

In December 2009, three Polar Science fellows from MBL's Logan Science Journalism Program are spending 16 days at the Palmer research station on the Western Antarctic peninsula, studying ecosystem function and the effects of climate change. During their hands-on research training, the fellows will focus on the role of nutrients from penguin colonies (particularly nitrogen from waste products) in stimulating growth of phytoplankton in near-shore areas; and the rates of soil build-up in areas where glaciers have receded.
Blog

January 2009 Field

The January 2009 Palmer LTER cruise is currently being documented through a blog where pictures, charts, videos and descriptions are being posted each day documenting the research and much more happening on the cruise.
Blog

January 2008 Cruise

For the 08 Palmer LTER cruise, Picture of the day was used. Each day an image along with a description of cruise activities, put together by a group of researchers aboard the ship was sent out to subscribers.
Picture of the Day