PALMER STATION SCIENCE SITREP MAY 1995 The following science projects were active at Palmer Station during the month: S-028 LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE ANTARCTIC MARINE ECOSYSTEM: AN ICE-DOMINATED SYSTEM. Robin M. Ross and Langdon B. Quetin, University of California, Marine Science Institute, Santa Barbara, California 93106. Personnel on station: Karen Haberman, Tim Miller On-station personnel redeployed on 09 May. Feeding experiments by krill on lab-grown and field-collected phytoplankton continued through the first week of May. During their final week, personnel finished analyzing some samples using fluorometry, HPLC, and cell counts, while collecting further samples for CHN, lipid, and protein analysis which will take place at UCSB. Packing of supplies and lab clean-up also took place during this week. Special attention was paid to cleaning out the Lab 1 refrigerator of old, unused, and unidentifiable S-014/S-028 labeled reagents and turned into the Winter Assistant Supervisor Laboratory Operations (WASLO) for proper disposal. Cultures were prepared for winter maintenance by the WASLO and the ASA Data Entry Clerk (DEC), Victoria Hogue, a past member of the S-028 (S-045R) winter field team. At the end of the month, Karen Haberman forwarded protocol updates to Palmer Station so the WASLO and DEC could perform culture transfers. S-036 ADAPTATIONS TO COUNTER DIFFUSIONAL CONSTRAINTS IN MUSCLE OF CHANNICHTHYID ICEFISHES. Bruce D. Sidell, University of Maine. Personnel on-station: Raffaele Acierno, Deena Barry, Zoe Eppley On 09 May, the R/V POLAR DUKE left Palmer Station for Punta Arenas carrying field team members Sidell and Reimenschneider. The ship returned to the Antarctic Peninsula on 23 May. From 24-25 May trawling operations were carried out aboard the R/V POLAR DUKE in Dallman Bay (vicinity of Astrolabe Needle) for capture of additional fish specimens. We conducted 39 trawls. Fishing operations were conducted in cooperation with field team personnel from S-037 (H.W. Detrich, P.I.). Specimens captured included: 101 G. gibberifrons, 74 C. aceratus, 14 C. rastrospinosus, 1 C. antarcticus, 1 D. mawsoni, and 22 N. coriiceps. Animals were transported to Palmer Station and transferred to the station's aquarium to be held for experimentation. During the month of May, station-based laboratory science activities progressed on several fronts. 1) Tissue collection and fixation from C. rastrospinosus, C. aceratus, and G. gibberifrons for subsequent electron microscopal studies at our CONUS laboratory was completed. 2) Determinations of activities of key enzymes of energy metabolism in oxidative and glycolytic skeletal muscles of G. gibberifrons of a wide range of body sizes are continuing. 3) Our guest Italian colleague, Dr. Acierno, has finished experiments to determine the mechanical performance of isolated, perfused hearts of icefish species that express the intracellular hemoprotein, myoglobin (C. rastrospinosus), or do not express this protein (C. aceratus). Experiments on isolated heart performance of C. rastrospinosus in the presence of the myoglobin poison sodium nitrate are in progress to further elucidate the role of myoglobin in cardiac function. The experimental chamber built by on-site ASA construction personnel continues to be crucial to this work. 4) We are continuing our preparations of nuclei from heart cells of C. rastrospinosus, C. gunnari and C. aceratus for subsequent nuclear "run-on" assays that will be conducted in our CONUS laboratory to ascertain the extent of myoglobin gene transcription in each species. 5) Genomic DNA was isolated from C. rastrospinosus, C. gunnari, C. aceratus and P. georgianus and is being used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the intact myoglobin gene using specific primers developed in our laboratory. Products will be returned to our home institution for sequence analyses at the University of Maine's automated DNA sequencer facility. In combination, results of our experiments should shed light upon the mechanisms used to maintain cellular function of oxidative muscle tissues at cold body temperature and to determine the physiological significance and control of gene expression for myoglobin which shows very large variance in its expression among the channichthyid icefishes. Success of our season to date has been greatly enhanced by excellent support from ASA personnel, crew and master of Polar Duke and the support personnel of Palmer Station. They are all gratefully acknowledged. We particularly appreciate receiving critical reagents in the last cargo shipment; these will allow us to complete our experiments. S-037 ASSEMBLY AND STABILITY OF MICROTUBULES FROM ANTARCTIC FISH AT LOW TEMPERATURES. H. William Detrich, Northeastern University, Boston, MA. Personnel on-station: Ennio Cocca, Bill Detrich, Tony Frankfurter, Sandra Parker, Angela Ramsey, Mikael Rutberg During the month of May we finished most of our 1995 Palmer-based research program. Significant accomplishments include: 1) preparation of additional samples of the microtubule motor proteins, axonemal dynein from Notothenia coriiceps (Detrich,) and brain kinesin from Gobionotothen gibberifrons and Chaenocephalus aceratus (Ramsey) for further study at our CONUS institution; 2) measurement of the intrinsic ATPase activity of brain kinesin (Ramsey), both basal and microtubule-stimulated; 3) completion of analyses of the posttranslational modifications of N. coriiceps brain, flagellar, and erythrocyte tubulins using antibodies specific for tyrosinated, deyrosinated, and polyglutamylated isoforms (Frankfurter, Cocca); 4) completion of immunofluorescence microscopy of the microtubule cytoskeletons of cultured neural, epithelial, testicular, and blood cells from N. coriiceps and C. aceratus (Rutberg); 5) preparation of additional samples of high molecular weight genomic DNAs from N. coriiceps, C. aceratus, Chionodraco rastrospinosus, and Trematomus newnesi (Parker, Cocca); 6) isolation of total RNAs from multiple tissues of N. coriiceps, T. newnesi, C. aceratus, and C. rastrospinosus (Parker, Cocca); and 7) collection of additional samples of Antarctic fish tissues and primary cell cultures to support our CONUS research activities on the cytoskeleton and on UV-B induced DNA damage and repair in Antarctic fishes. Final analysis of these studies will be performed at Northeastern University. Our results should contribute significantly to an understanding of mechanisms of molecular adaptation of the cytoskeleton and UV repair systems to low body temperatures. Also during May we conducted two fishing trips in conjunction with Project S-036 (Sidell). The details of these trips are summarized in the May S-036 SITREP and are not repeated here. On 09 May Project members Cocca, Detrich, Frankfurter, Parker, and Rutberg redeployed to CONUS after completion of their research. Ramsey remains on station to continue her kinesin studies into June. Throughout our field season we have been greatly assisted in our work by the ASA personnel of Palmer Station and the captain, crew, and ASA personnel of R/V POLAR DUKE. We gratefully acknowledge all of their efforts. S-091 PALMER IRIS SEISMOLOGY. R. Butler/G. Holcomb, U.S. Geological Survey, Albuquerque, NM. No personnel were on station. The system has been operated by the station Science Technician. Seismic events throughout the month were recorded. S-106 VERY LOW FREQUENCY (VLF) REMOTE SENSING OF THUNDERSTORM AND RADIATION BELT COUPLING TO THE IONOSPHERE. U. Inan, Stanford University. No personnel were on station. The system has been operated by the station Science Technician. Synoptic, narrow band, and broad band recordings of VLF signals were made on a daily basis. On 25 May, interference on the North/South signal loop developed. The cause is under investigation. S-254 CHLORINE© AND BROMINE©CONTAINING TRACE GASES IN THE ANTARCTIC. R.A. Rasmussen, Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology, Portland, Oregon. No personnel were on station. Twelve samples were collected in stainless steel canisters, behind the clean air facility by the station physician. These air samples in stainless steel canisters were collected behind the Clean Air Facility by the station physician. The samples were labeled with the date and stored for retrograding. S-257C COLLECTION OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR FOR THE NOAA/CMDL WORLDWIDE FLASK SAMPLING NETWORK. J.T. Peterson, NOAA, Boulder No personnel were on station. Eight air samples were collected in glass flasks from a site near the foot of the glacier. These samples were collected in glass flasks from a site located near the foot of the glacier, behind the clean air facility, by the station physician, using the MAKS sampler. S-275 UM/DOE-EML REMOTE ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENTS PROGRAM. J. Prospero/T. Snowdon, University of Miami; C. Sanderson/N. Chui, EML/DOE N.Y. No personnel were on station. The system has been operated by the station Science Technician. One sample filter was exposed for the duration of each week, and a weekly schedule of calibration, background, and sample counts was maintained. On 26 May, a circuit breaker tripped twice, resulting in approximately 2 hours of air pump inactivity. T-312 TERASCAN SATELLITE IMAGING SYSTEM. R. Whritner, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA. No personnel were on station. The system has been operated by the station Science Technician. The TeraScan system collected, archived, and processed DMSP and NOAA telemetry, maintaining a schedule of 15 passes per day. Automatic Weather Station (AWS) data was collected from the Bonaparte Point and Hugo Island AWS in support of the LTER project. During May, an attempt was made to restore the Bonaparte Point AWS to normal operation. Temporary batteries were installed, but the weather station is still not functioning properly. On 28 May, the TeraScan Sun workstation required a hard reboot to restore normal operation. T-513 UV MONITORING EXPERIMENT. C. Booth, Biospherical Instruments, Inc. No personnel were on station. The system has been operated by the station Science Technician. Throughout the month, raw irradiance data were collected daily and transmitted to BSI. Preliminary irradiance data and inferred ozone abundances were produced in support of science. An absolute calibration of the UV monitor was performed on 26 May. Photomultiplier tube voltages were raised on two occasions, and the 1200Z and 2000Z data scans were removed in response to decreased daylight.