Today was my first dive at Arrival Heights, another location very close to McMurdo. Like the Jetty, it was a breathtaking location to dive. We checked out some massive sponges, then moved our way up to the shallows where the juvenile Trematomus bernacchii (bernies) hide in the anchor ice. The main objective of the dive was to practice collection, which was very nice to have because it is difficult to catch those suckers!
When we first got into the shallow shelf, there was a massive school of hundreds, if not thousands of bernies that were seemingly begging to be caught. Of course, as soon as we approached they darted into the crevices in the anchor ice to hide. They are quite fast for small fish! Once you scare them out of the ice, you have to quickly catch them with a small aquarium net. You also have to ensure that you don't catch the shards of ice with the fish to prevent the fish from freezing. Once you catch a few, you then have to transfer them into a very high-tech collection bag (aka a plastic bag with duct tape). Hopefully when you open the bag to let the new ones in, the others don't swim out. All of this is in 28°F water with giant dexterity-less lobster gloves and frozen hands (despite the giant gloves). And, of course, you are also managing your buoyancy, bottom time, air pressure, etc. and keeping an eye on your buddy and the location of the dive hole at the same time. It's quite the challenge, but it is rewarding to be able to collect the fish that we spend so much time studying. And when we're not focused on collecting, it's quite the treat to just observe them in their natural habitat. The opportunity to watch them has already given me valuable information for designing current and future experiments; it's a great reminder to never forget the importance of simple observation in formulating research questions. We were also lucky enough to have a Weddell seal say hello during our dive! As awkward as they seem on land, they are truly majestic under water. It was humbling to have such a huge animal swim around you and curiously look at you. They are not aggressive, but their size alone definitely makes you pause. Overall, it was another fantastic dive. I'm still in shock that I am lucky enough to get to dive here as part of my research. Looking forward to more dives soon. Thank you Steve Rupp for the fantastic photos!
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After dreaming about it every night for months, I have now officially dove under the Antarctic sea ice! Above is a picture of my first time about to go through the hole (there will be pictures of actually under the ice coming soon). I feel really lucky to have the opportunity to dive here as part of my research and I'm thankful for all of the support and encouragement from my advisor, teammates, friends, and family along the way. This truly feels is a dream come true!
The first dive was a check out dive to review emergency procedures and get a general orientation to diving under the ice, the second dive was to collect critters for the touch tank, and the third dive was my first time at collecting juvenile fish for our experiments. It was quite the challenge to net the fish wearing dry gloves, but I'm looking forward to improving my technique as time goes on. I don't feel that I have the words to truly describe what it is like under the ice. Diving through the hole is like teleporting yourself to another planet. At one moment you're sitting in a toasty dive hut, surrounded by teammates and laughter, and at the next moment you're plunged into a frigid, dark, quiet abyss. You're suddenly under an ice ceiling that is multiple feet think and you know that the only way to return back to the world you belong in is through the hole you plopped through. The ice ceiling is cracked at its edges, allowing light to illuminate like bright veins running through the ice. The vein-cracks are a reminder at how alive the ceiling is above you; that it is a dynamic part of the moving environment surround you. I'm already dreaming of the next dive. Pictures: Me (in blue) about to dive into the hole for the first time (left); Me and my first batch of juvenile fish caught under the ice (right) We have officially made it to Antarctica! Our flight got in late last night and we hit the ground running this morning unpacking equipment and setting up our CO2 system. We made a huge amount of progress which feels awesome! We should *hopefully* be able to turn it on tomorrow. It will take a few days after that once the CO2 levels stabilize in the tanks, which can be a challenging and stressful process due to the amount of delicate (and expensive) equipment involved. But, we are one step closer!
Now, it's time to settle in, unpack, and get a good night of sleep. Photos: Milica, Anne, Mandy, and Andrew about to board the flight (top left); the inside of the C-17 (top right); Milica in front of the C-17 after landing on the ice at night (bottom left); the experimental acclimation system being set up (bottom right). www.usap.gov/videoclipsandmaps/mcmwebcam.cfm
As you can see from the live webcam (link above), it's still too stormy at McMurdo to land a plane. Once the storm stops, there also needs to be enough of a gap in the weather to fully clear the runway, which is not an easy feat in Antarctic conditions. So, for the past few days we've been continuing our eat-shop-work-adventure routine in New Zealand. Yesterday we took an adventure to Kaikoura, a small coastal town about 2.5 hours north of Christchurch where the mountains truly do meet the sea. Originally developed as part of the whaling industry, Kaikoura is still known for its wildlife, including albatrosses, sperm whales, and fur seals. While we didn't catch a glimpse of any whales or albatrosses, we did get to say hello to plenty of fur seals, calves, and even a New Zealand fantail. We enjoyed both mountain and ocean views on our hike around the peninsula, indulged ourselves in a fantastic seafood lunch, and then ventured into the foothills for a secluded forest walk to end the day. The entire day (including the drive) was just stunning and I'm thankful that we had the opportunity to visit. Although we are all very anxious to get down to the ice to begin our field season! The first post! I decided to start this website and writing journey as I am returning to McMurdo Station, Antarctica for my second field season. Hopefully this helps convince all of you back home that I am not actually turning into a penguin (as much as I would love that). My plan for the next four months is to post as often as possible with research and general life-on-the-ice updates, so please check here to see what we're up to! I hope to continue this blog and website throughout my PhD to document my adventures, scientific pursuits, and other life tid-bits.
We made it to New Zealand a few days ago and are all ready to get to the ice: we have our extreme cold weather (ECW) gear, dropped off our excess luggage, and have completed our required trainings. Unfortunately the weather gods at McMurdo are not quite ready to have us, yet, and flights look like they'll be delayed for a few more days. In the meantime, we are soaking in the abundant fresh foods ("freshies") and delicious coffee while we have them and are exploring Christchurch. We've visited our favorite restaurants (ahem more than a few times), perused the sales at Kathmandu and Macpac, walked around the city looking at the street art, and visited the exhibits at the Canterbury Museum. It's winter in New Zealand and much chillier than the 106°F weather that we left in the Central Valley, so our bodies are getting a gentle acclimation to the cold before getting to the Antarctic winter. Fingers crossed that the weather at McMurdo clears soon. For now, I'm going to go find some mangoes. Photos: B-207 after arriving in the Aukland airport (top left); graffiti art in Christchurch (top middle); Andrew, Mandy, and Anne in the city center (top right); an image of a "Pup-gloo" from Shackleton's famous expedition (middle left); extreme cold weather (ECW) clothing (middle middle); Husky named Porridge at the Antarctic Centre (middle right); french toast, coffee, and avocado toast at our favorite restaurant, Unknown Chapter (bottom row). |
AuthorHey it's me, Mandy! I'd love to share my adventures, scientific (and other) thoughts with you here. Thanks for visiting! ArchivesCategories |