Project Title

PAL-LTER: Ecological Response to "Press Pulse" Disturbances Along a Rapidly Changing West Antarctic Peninsula

Summary

Event Number:
C-013-P
NSF / OPP Award 2224611

Program Director:
Dr. William Ambrose

ASC POC/Implementer:
Ryan Steiner / Diane Hutt

Principal Investigator(s)

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

Location

Supporting Stations: Palmer Station
Research Locations: Palmer Station and surrounding environs

Description

Seasonal sea ice-influenced marine ecosystems at both poles are characterized by 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) seeks to build on three decades of research along the West Antarctic Peninsula to gain new mechanistic and predictive understanding of ecosystem changes in response to disturbances spanning long-term, subdecadal, and higher frequency “pulses” driven by a range of processes, including long-term natural variability and storms. These disturbances alter food web composition and ecological interactions across temporal and spatial scales that are not well understood. Researchers will contribute fundamental understanding of how population dynamics and biogeochemical processes are responding within a polar marine ecosystem undergoing profound change.

Field Season Overview

During the 2026-27 season, the Palmer Station-based science team will deploy from roughly mid-November to mid-April. Team members will live at Palmer while conducting their field research, using small boats to access local islands in the Palmer vicinity and making frequent day trips to seabird colonies in the local, distant, and extended boating areas (e.g., Dream Island, Biscoe Point, Joubin Islands, Wauwermans Islands, Rosenthal Islands). The team will conduct population censuses and sampling from local seabird colonies and collaborate with other Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) groups on biweekly acoustic surveys in the area. The C-013 project will support the C-024 project by documenting whale sightings when on the water and collecting biopsy samples when possible.

Deploying Team Members