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Palmer Station Antarctica LTER

Studying the ecology of the Antarctic Peninsula for over 30 years

The Palmer Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) study area is located to the west of the Antarctic Peninsula extending South and North of the Palmer Basin from onshore to several hundred kilometers off shore. Palmer Station is one of the three United States research stations located in Antarctica. It is on Anvers Island midway down the Antarctic Peninsula at latitude 64.7 South, longitude 64.0 West.

The Palmer LTER studies a polar marine biome with research focused on the Antarctic pelagic marine ecosystem, including sea ice habitats, regional oceanography and terrestrial nesting sites of seabird predators. The Palmer LTER is one of more than 26 LTER research sites located throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Tahiti; each focused on a specific ecosystem, that together constitute the LTER Network.

News from Palmer LTER

Earth Day with Scott Doney

For Earth Day this year, PAL Co-PI Scott Doney was featured on the University of University of Virginia's podcast Hoos in STEM. In the episode “Celebrating Earth Day with Environmental Scientist Scott Doney,” Scott sat down with…

Fig. 3. Photos of example items found (A) A 185 mL bottle of Bona Forte fertilizer for houseplants (in Russian), (B) 100 mL metal bottle of Ethylchloride for pain relief (in Spanish) (left) and an unidentifiable metal bottle (right), (C) what appears to be a Dunlop Mens Purofort Thermo Wellington Boot, which is steel toe and protects under cold conditions, (D) estimated 40 lbs. of line, buoy (~ 2 m diameter) and cloth/mesh (note the human for scale), and (E) a Master Kong plastic water bottle cap (in Chinese). All items pictured were found in the Joubins Islands with BCE, A, and D on island 76, 12 and 18, respectively.

New Paper on marine debris found near Palmer Station

In a new paper, Katherine Gallagher, Gina Selig, and Megan Cimino document their recent observations of marine debris around Palmer Station in Antarctica. Last season, they found 135 pieces of marine debris along the shore, and near the…

A map of the receding glacial terminus behind Palmer Station, over the last 60 years.

Looking Forward: The Race to Save Antarctic Penguins

The penguin populations in Antarctica are rapidly changing due to the effects of climate change. Over the past 30 years, scientists have studied the penguins around Palmer Station along the West Antarctic Peninsula, and have observed a significant…

Joy Ferenbaugh appointed Assistant Professor

Congratulations to Joy Ferenbaugh, who was recently appointed as an Assistant Professor of Biology at Adams State University in Colorado. Joy was previously a PAL post-doctoral scholar, working in Scott Doney's Computational Biogeochemistry…

A map of the receding glacial terminus behind Palmer Station, over the last 60 years.

Upside Down Ocean: Unraveling the Crisis of Antarctic Sea Ice

Climate change is having a dramatic effect on Antarctic sea ice. For years, ice around the continent seemed oddly consistent, while sea ice in the Arctic has declined dramatically. But that is no longer the case. Over the last few years,…

A map of the receding glacial terminus behind Palmer Station, over the last 60 years.

New Paper: 60 years of glacial retreat behind Palmer Station

In a new short paper, Megan Cimino, Marissa Goerke, and Shavonna Bent document how the Marr Glacier behind Palmer Station has retreated over the past 60 years. They found that the glacier has retreated about 7.7 meters per year, which…

Palmer LTER Resources

The buildings of Palmer station a dusk

PAL Research Groups

Penguins on the beach near Palmer

Two people standing in front of a laptop on a stand with glaciers and water behind them

Education & Outreach

This site was developed with the support of the National Science Foundation under Grant No. OPP-2224611 and OPP-2026045. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Logistical support for this project in Antarctica was provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation through the U.S. Antarctic Program.

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