Methods: Participating scientists conduct field studies at Palmer Station from research vessels, zodiacs, laboratories and remote-sensing platforms such as satellites, weather stations and moorings. Further analysis and experiments are based at their home institutions. Scientists and technicians cruise on a research vessel each January to match the penguin nesting period and to take samples of the larger grid and penguin foraging areas.
From October through March to match the biologically active spring through summer months, smaller inflatable zodiac watercrafts based at Palmer Station sample hydrography, as well as near-shore abundance and distributions. These near-shore data help scientists place data gathered during the January cruise into a seasonal context of interannual variability. Data from satellite-borne instruments combined with insitu measurements provide significant and reliable long-term data.
Sampling Grid: Standard measurements are taken at established stations within a series of nested grids. An oceanic sampling grid, which is 200km on/offshore, stretches 900km along shore roughly parallel to the Peninsula. This 180,000 sq km region surrounding Palmer Station reflects the regional scale of atmospheric, oceanic, and sea-ice interactions with populations in the marine ecosystem. Smaller embedded grids address local hydrography, near-shore primary and secondary production, and the foraging range of nesting seabirds. Elevation ranges from 10m on land to 2000m below sea surface.