Project Title

Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Whale Component

Summary

Event Number:
C-024-L/P
NSF/OPP Award 1440435

Program Manager:
Dr. Jennifer Burns

ASC POC/Implementer:
Samina Ouda / Bruce Felix / Jamee Johnson

Principal Investigator(s)

Dr. Ari Seth Friedlaender
ari.friedlaender@ucsc.edu
University of California Santa Cruz
Institute of Marine Sciences
Santa Cruz, California

Location

Supporting Stations: ARSV Laurence M. Gould, Palmer Station
Research Locations: Palmer Station and Western Antarctic Peninsula

Description

Palmer Long-Term Ecological Research (PAL-LTER) started in 1990 to address the hypothesis that the annual sea ice cycle may be the major determinant of spatial/temporal changes in the structure and function of Antarctic marine communities. Research now includes bacteria, viruses, phytoplankton, krill, macrozooplankton, penguins, seabirds, and marine mammals. The PAL-LTER model traces the effects of changing climate and the extent, duration, and seasonality of sea ice on ecosystem composition and dynamics in the Western Antarctic Peninsula, where satellite observations over the past 35 years indicate the average duration of sea ice cover is now about 90 days shorter. Six collaborative projects on the ARSV Laurence M. Gould cruise and at Palmer Station will use airborne and underwater vehicles, moorings, numerical modeling, oceanographic cruises, and environmental sampling to address core hypotheses.

Field Season Overview

Cetaceans Component: Team members will deploy on the annual LTER cruise aboard the ARSV Laurence M. Gould from early January to early February. During the cruise, they will use small boats to deploy suction cup tags on baleen whales, and they will deploy an unmanned aerial system (UAS) to collect whale measurements and assess condition. Two project participants will reside at Palmer Station from January through early April and will use a dedicated small boat for visual surveys of marine mammals, quantitative prey mapping, biopsy sampling, and suction cup tag deployment and recovery. When a second small boat is able to accompany the team, these studies will take place in the extended boating area around Palmer Station.

Deploying Team Members