This blog is an Education and Outreach project coordinated by Beth Simmons associated with the Palmer station Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTER). It reflects the annual interdisciplinary nature of the Palmer LTER sites research both at Palmer station and during the field cruise aboard the R/V Laurence M. Gould during the 2009 – 2010 field season and contributes to the creation of a long-term time series record which began in 1991.
Welcome! Join us as we journey to Palmer Station, Antarctica, host to the Palmer Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project. This year we have expanded our blog to include posts from two teams; those conducting research at Palmer Station and those aboard the Laurence M Gould ice breaker which departs later in December. At whatever point you begin to participate in the blog you can track a specific authors’ posts by clicking on the “Follow our Authors” link on the lower right.
At the moment, the first team of scientists are headed down to the station traveling through the Lemaire Strait on their way to the western Antarctic peninsula, one of most rapidly warming winter regions on earth. Since the marine ecosystem along the peninsula is responding to regional climate warming at all levels of the food chain – from phytoplankton and krill to penguins, seals and whales this is an exciting time to do research. Chief scientist from Palmer LTER Hugh Ducklow explains this years field season more fully:
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Please join us by participating in our 2009 – 2010 Palmer Season. A Blog called “Changing your Latitude” a new interactive journey where you can experience the marine ecosystem along the western Antarctic peninsula and learn about Palmer Long Term Ecological Research from two perspectives – one at the station and one from the ship. This year we invite you to leave your world behind during the busy holiday season and travel along with us. Track the ship, explore the environment using Google Earth, connect with scientists, download some new resources, post questions, view photographs and videos, and experience Antarctica.
Are you ready to change your latitude?
