2021-2022 Science Planning Summaries
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2021-2022 USAP Field Season
Project Detail

Project Title

Palmer, Antarctica Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER): land-shelf-ocean connectivity, and ecosystem resilience and transformation, in a sea-ice influenced pelagic ecosystem


Penguin colonies studied as part of the Palmer Station Long-term Ecological Research Program (LTER). Photo by Megan Roberts
C-013-N/P Research Location(s): West Antarctic Peninsula, Palmer Station

Summary

Event Number:
C-013-N/P

Program Director:
Dr. Francisco (Paco) Moore

ASC POC/Implementer:
Samina Ouda / Bruce Felix


Principal Investigator(s)

Dr. Megan A Cimino
megan.cimino@noaa.gov
University of California Santa Cruz
Monterey, California


Location

Supporting Stations: RV/IB Nathaniel B. Palmer, Palmer Station
Research Locations: West Antarctic Peninsula, Palmer Station


Description

Seasonal sea ice-influenced marine ecosystems at both poles are regions of high productivity concentrated in space and time by local, regional, and remote physical forcing. These polar ecosystems are among the most rapidly changing on Earth. The Palmer Long Term Ecological Research (PAL-LTER) project seeks to build on three decades of long-term research along the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) to gain new mechanistic and predictive understanding of ecosystem changes in response to disturbances spanning long-term, decadal, and higher-frequency “pulse” changes driven by a range of processes, including natural climate variability, long-term climate warming, resiliency/recovery in the face of press versus pulse forcing, transformed spatial landscapes, and food-web alterations. We will contribute to fundamental understanding of population and biogeochemical responses for a marine ecosystem experiencing profound change.


Field Season Overview

Two participants will embark on the RV/IB Nathaniel B. Palmer cruise, boarding the ship in Punta Arenas. The vessel will drop two or three researchers at Avian Island, where they will establish a field camp and conduct research for five days. The team may also conduct population censuses at Charcot Island or at other accessible islands of interest along the Western Antarctic Peninsula, as possible. When onboard and underway, the participants will record observations from the bridge and conduct echo-sounder measurements of the prey field. When in the vicinity of Palmer Station, participants will go on day trips to conduct surveys of seabird colonies and collect other demographic measures on multiple islands in the area. Wildlife tracking tags will be deployed on Adelie penguins and diet samples will be taken.

Three wildlife cameras on tripods were installed at Torgeson and Humble Islands at the end of the 2020-2021 season. The Palmer ASC research associate will replace batteries and monitor the system during the duration of pier construction during the 2021-2022 season. The cameras will be retrograded at the end of the pier construction.


Deploying Team Members

  • Megan Cimino (PI)