Palmer Station Science SitRep October 1999 Paul J. Ricchiazzi, SSL NEWS FROM THE LAB Ken Doggett, Sr. Asst. Supervisor, Laboratory Operations The R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD made two visits to Palmer Station this month bringing many new support staff and science personnel. The second portcall on the 30th saw the arrival of six grantees making for 17 total from six science groups. Laboratory spaces on Station are fully utilized, and a Radiation Milvan was placed on the pier to allow for the increased Radiation Lab space required this season. Daily temperature averages at Station remained in the single digit negatives during October. The high temperature was 7.4 C on the 6th and the low was -11.5 C on the 19th, with a monthly average of -2.2 C. There were 27 days of precipitation this month resulting in 42.2 mm of melted accumulation. Peak wind speed was 59 knots on day 19, winds averaged 11 knots. Of interesting weather note, the barometer dipped to a 10-year low of 934.3 mb on the 13th of the month. Water surrounding Station remains choked with ice allowing only a few boating days at the beginning of the month. Animal populations continued to increase this month with the return of Adelie penguins to Torgersen Island. Gentoo penguins have been sighted crossing the ice on their way to areas south of Station. A large bull elephant seal and his harem were spotted on Bonaparte Point. The bellow of the bull as well as the cry of the pups can be heard on calm days at Station. Two new spectrophotometers and a large capacity SpeedVac have been received on Station. A Perkin Elmer Lambda 40 dual beam system and a Hewlett Packard 8453 diode array system are welcome additions to the Station=92s spectrometer inventory. The AES 2010 SpeedVac by Savant offers an increased capacity over the DNA100 model already at Station. The following programs were involved in research at Palmer Station: BP-013-O LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH (LTER) ON THE ANTARCTIC MARINE ECOSYSTEM: AN ICE-DOMINATED ENVIRONMENT (SEABIRD COMPONENT) William R. Fraser Montana State University, Bozeman, MT. PERSONNEL ON STATION: Peter Duley, Eric Chapman, and Michele Rosenshield Our three field team members arrived at Palmer on 15 October after a successful opening of the Copa Field Camp on King George Island, and a smooth crossing of the Drake Passage. When we arrived, the Bismark Channel was relatively free of ice and Arthur Harbor was open to Torgersen Island. The Palmer area was under the influence of a 10-year low in the barometric pressure with a reading of 934 millibars. The resulting storm came from the Southwest and brought with it a large amount of ice, rendering boating to our Island research study sites impossible. The ice in Hero Inlet and Arthur Harbor is fairly well formed, however leads have opened up between Station and our near shore study sites making skiing an impossibility. Therefore, as of this writing no visits to our Islands have been conducted. Upon our arrival our science group began the task of preparing the materials necessary to conduct our fieldwork. The lab has been unpacked and all set up, our field notebooks have been organized, and the receiving station for our Humble Island Adelie tracking project has been tested. Also part 1 of the boating safety and the Islands course have been completed. As observed from Palmer Station, Adelie penguins are arriving in substantial numbers on Torgersen and Humble Islands. A kelp gull and marine mammal census was conducted on 21 October around the Palmer area. These censuses revealed 18 kelp gulls with 1 active territory in Hero Inlet. A count of 8 Weddell seals with 3 pups in the inlet as well. Elephant Seals are pupping on Bonaparte Point with 6 pups counted one of these pups was dead. The main focus of our lab work here at Palmer has consisted of intertidal Limpet size distribution analysis, South Polar Skua diet analysis, and Blue Eyed Shag diet analysis. BP-016-O Long Term Ecological Research on the Antarctic Marine Ecosystem - An Ice-Dominated Environment (Phytoplankton Component) Maria Vernet, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Principle Investigator Personnel on Station: Karie Sines and Jill Glass On October fifteenth the first member of BP-016-O arrived on station and laboratory setup began immediately. Brash ice has been in and out of Arthur Harbor for the entire month preventing standard inshore stations sampling (stations E & B). Light levels for sampling were established and the zodiac was made ready. Sampling of the seawater intake will begin on a biweekly schedule until boating becomes possible. We will also collect chlorophyll samples from Bonaparte Point and Gamage Point. Jill Glass arrived on October thirtieth. BP-028-O LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE ANTARCTIC MARINE ECOSYSTEM: AN ICE-DOMINATED ENVIRONMENT (PREY COMPONENT). Langdon B. Quetin and Robin M. Ross, Co-Principal Investigators, University of California, Santa Barbara. Personnel on Station: Tracy Shaw and Dan Martin We arrived at Palmer Station aboard R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD on October 14. The ice blew in shortly after our arrival and has shown no signs of departing. The first week was spent unpacking and setting up the lab, cleaning and labeling the new growth-rate experiment equipment and weighing vials which will be used throughout the season. A few final touches were added to the new zodiac platform which was built last season, including a new davit to launch the acoustic tow body, a new battery box and a cover for the acoustic equipment. Ice conditions have not allowed for any boating operations since our arrival, so we have been investigating possible methods of catching krill through the ice. We've seen mainly adult krill and have had good results using an aquarium net wielded by a person in a survival suit. We appreciate all the assistance we've received from ASA personnel in preparing for our season. BP-032-O LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE ANTARCTIC MARINE ECOSYSTEM: AN ICE ENVIRONMENT (BIO-OPTICAL COMPONENT) Raymond C. Smith, Principal Investigator, University of California, Santa Barbara. Personnel on Station: Lauri Burke and John Milner. We arrived at Palmer Station on October 30 aboard the R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD. We have been unpacking scientific equipment, setting up the laboratory, and linking the computer system to the network. We are looking forward to a productive season. AO-106-O STUDIES OF LIGHTNING-INDUCED ELECTRON PRECIPITATION OF THE IONOSPHERE. U. Inan, Stanford University The station science technician has operated the system. The Stanford receiver records very low frequency (VLF) radio waves for studying ionospheric and magnetospheric natural phenomena. The HAIL narrowband system recorded enhanced VLF activity with decreasing frequency as the month progressed. On active days, plots showing the best sequences of events were produced and transferred to the grantees. The two narrowband systems, HAIL and HAARP, each experienced one abnormal early termination of data recording. HAIL stopped after one hour and 37 minutes on 08 October, and HAARP recorded for only about six hours on 10 October. Twice during the final week of the month, the GOES clock was found to be displaying an improper time. The first occurrence was fixed immediately by a cycling of power. Neither power cycling nor reseating the antenna connection provided a quick fix for the second failure, and one day of HAARP data (29 October) was collected with questionable time marking while another day (30 October) was missed completely. After over 36 hours of intermittent resettings failed to correct the problem, a disconnection and reconnection of the antenna cable finally brought the clock back to reality. BO-200-O ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION INDUCED DNA DAMAGE IN BACTERIOPLANKTON IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN. II. PHOTOCHEMICAL AND TROPHIC INTERACTIONS AND SEASONAL PATTERNS OF UV RESPONSE. Wade H. Jeffrey, Principal Investigator, University of West Florida. Personnel on Station: J. Dean Pakulski, Jason P. Kase, Wade H. Jeffrey (10/1-10/17), Jill Peloquin (10/17-10/31), Jennifer Fritz (10/17-10/31), Jarah Meador (10/17-10/31), David Mitchell (10/30-10/31) Despite the ice conditions this month that severely restricted boating operations and, thus, access to our anticipated sampling sites, much has been accomplished. The solar simulator has performed well and has been utilized extensively to measure the sensitivity of bacterioplankton incorporation rates of growth substrates. Water samples from several different locations were obtained during the month. Samples from LTER stations A, B, and E were obtained 3, 2, and 2 times, respectively, and the sensitivity of bacterioplankton communities measured with the solar simulator and filtered for community structure analysis using the 16S rRNA genes. In addition, water collected from LTER station A and B was diluted tenfold in filtered seawater and incubated under full solar irradiance, with UVB blocked, with both UVA and UVB blocked, and in the dark. At three-day intervals, subsamples were collected for measuring community sensitivity to UV using the solar simulator and for community structure changes. The extensive sea ice during the month of October has allowed us an interesting opportunity to examine the sensitivity of the abundant microbial communities within the sea ice. On 3 occasions, sea ice was collected, melted out slowly in the lab, and exposed to UV using the solar simulator. Surface water collected at the same time was exposed in parallel to allow a comparison between the two communities. Samples were also taken to compare differences in microbial community structure. Daily experiments to measure patterns of bacterial production and DNA damage in relation to ozone have been performed continuously during the month. Experiments designed to measure diel patterns of bacterial production and DNA damage in relation to naturally changing light intensities and exposures have been performed weekly as planned. Weekly experiments designed to look at the expression of Rec A have been performed. Seawater samples have been placed in outdoor incubators and sampled at regular intervals for later analysis of Rec A expression. In addition, weekly gene expression experiments have been performed similar to the Rec A experiments to look for novel gene expression products induced by UV exposure. Several bacterial isolates have been obtained from seawater and sea ice communities and are being maintained in culture for use in later gene expression and DNA damage experiments. We have devised and constructed a 3" coring tool to sample first year sea ice in Hero Inlet. Initially, ice at 5 cm intervals was thawed slowly and we will attempt to extract DNA and culture bacteria from 9 different depths in ice (i.e., 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20-25, 25-30, 30-35, 35-40, and 40 to 45 cm from the bottom). Action spectra for these cultures and those already isolated (see above) will be determined using different wavelengths of UV light and growth rate as the biological endpoint. Snow cover was cleared to allow light penetration and "equilibration" of the ice algae. We will be performing diel experiments on the ice algae, sampling at 6 h intervals through a 2 day period. With the arrival of Jennifer Fritz and Jill Peloquin, from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Maryland, we have been able to examine the effect of solar radiation on photosynthesis and bacterial production in great detail. This part of the project uses techniques to measure and interpret the spectral and temporal dependence of phytoplankton photosynthetic response and bacterial production response to ultraviolet radiation (UV, 280-400 nm). Within a week, the equipment was set up, with the primary area of work occurring in the radioactivity van located on the pier. A spectral incubator ("photoinhibitron") was set up in the Rad Van, in which eighty aliquots of as much as 15 ml can be simultaneously incubated in eight different broad-band spectral regimes. The irradiance source is a 2.5 kW Xenon lamp, which is directed through long-pass cutoff filters with nominal cutoff wavelengths of 280, 295, 305, 320, 335, 350, 370 and 395 nm. Spectral irradiance in the incubator is measured using a spectroradiometer system with a fiber optic probe that is calibrated on site with a 1000W standard lamp. This incubator has been used the past two years, here at Palmer Station in 1997 and on the Laurence M. Gould in 1998. As of October 30th, Arthur Harbor waters have been sampled once for photosynthetic rate (radiocarbon incorporation) and once for bacterial production (tritium incorporation) During October we also conducted measurements of the diurnal variation of photosynthesis in Arthur Harbor samples incubated in outside tanks that either transmit UV or block UV. The sampling scheme for these 10-hour incubations allows for the examination of UV damage and the ability to recover from exposure. An overall goal of our work is to refine models for predicting the effect of UV, in particular the variation in UV-B (280 to 320 nm) due to ozone depletion, on Antarctic primary productivity. Implementation of the model requires high-resolution spectral data on incident UV. The Biospherical Instruments (BSI) SUV-100 monitors the long-term variation of incident spectral UV at Palmer Station, and is currently operating at a 15 min sampling interval. During our deployment October through December 1999, this record is being supplemented by a Smithsonian Institution SR-18 UV-B spectroradiometer, situated next to the SUV-100. This radiometer measures incident insulation over the spectral range of 290 to 324 nm with 2 nm resolution (FWHM) and at 330 nm at 10 nm resolution. The sample rate is fourteen spectra per minute which are averaged over one minute periods. The SR18 is also calibrated on site using a portable calibrator with a 1000W standard lamp. Between the above primary experiments we have begun isolating DNA from these samples for microbial community analysis and measurement of DNA damage. We have performed a thymidine conversion factor experiment designed to relate specific growth rates in the bacterioplankton to the uptake and incorporation of radiolabeled thymidine into genomic=20 DNA. Without the support of Palmer Station ASA personnel, this work would not have been possible and we would like to thank them and wish them continued success with their new employer in the spring. In particular we would like to thank Ken Doggett for general lab support, Andy Sutton for assisting with data acquisition computers, and especially Dan Weisblatt and Norm LaVoie for making the radioisotope van electrically sound and improving upon the heating system. We would also like to acknowledge the help of ASA personnel and the crew of the R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD for collecting water for us at LTER station E on October 30. BO-279-O SURFACE UV IRRADIANCE AND PAR VARIABILITY OVER ANTARCTICA, Paul J. Ricchiazzi, University of California at Santa Barbara PERSONNEL ON STATION: Allison Payton and Paul Ricchiazzi Our field party arrived at Palmer on Saturday, October 30. Over the past two days we have unpacked shipping boxes and connected our laptop computers into the station local area network. GO-052-P GPS CONTINUOUS OPERATION REFERENCE STATION. J. Mullins, U.S. Geological Survey The station science technician has monitored the system. During the month, GPS transmissions were collected continuously, converted daily to a RInEx format, compressed, and transmitted to the US Geological Survey in Reston, VA. Following a minor modification to a specialty cable, a Garmin 12 GPS was successfully operated in real time differential mode using RTCM correctors broadcast from the Z-12 base station. 72 epochs were lost over a period of approximately 25 minutes on 29 October The missing epochs were scattered with no discernible pattern throughout the affected period, and no cause for the loss was determined. GO-091-O GLOBAL SEISMOGRAPH STATION AT PALMER STATION. R. Butler, Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) The station science technician has operated the system. Global seismic events were recorded throughout the month. All operations were normal. OO-204-O MEASUREMENTS OF ATMOSPHERIC O2 IN RELATION TO THE GLOBAL CARBON CYCLE. Ralph Keeling, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Air samples are collected on a semi-weekly basis by the station physician. The samples are return shipped to Scripps for analysis of O2 and CO2 content. The goal of the program is to resolve seasonal and interannual variations in atmospheric O2 (detected through changes in O2/N2 ratio) which can aid in the determination of rates of marine biological productivity and ocean mixing and aid in the separation of the global sink for anthropogenic CO2 into terrestrial and oceanic components. The program involves air sampling at a network of sites in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Palmer Station is especially well situated to resolve signals due to carbon cycling in the Southern Ocean. OO-254-O CHLORINE-AND BROMINE-CONTAINING TRACE GASES IN ANTARCTICA. R.A. Rasmussen, Oregon Graduate Institute for Science and Technology Air samples are taken on a weekly basis by the station physician. The samples are returned to the Institute for analysis of a number of trace components, especially chlorine- and bromine-containing gases. These elements have been implicated in the chemical processes that contribute to the austral-spring depletion of the ozone layer over Antarctica. This work will contribute to a better understanding of the buildup of trace constituents, particularly those of high-latitude marine origin. OO-264-O COLLECTION OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR FOR THE NOAA\CMDL WORLDWIDE FLASK SAMPLING NETWORK. James T. Peterson, Environmental Research Laboratories, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Air samples are taken on a weekly basis by the station physician. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory team continue long-term measurements of trace atmospheric constituents that influence climate. The Palmer Station air samples are returned to the NOAA laboratory for analysis of trace constituents, including carbon dioxide. These measurements are part of NOAA's effort to determine and assess the long-term buildup of global pollutants in the atmosphere. This data will be used to determine how the rate of change of these parameters affects climate, particularly by including them in climate model studies. OO-275-O DOE-EML REMOTE ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENTS PROGRAM. C. Sanderson, Department of Energy, Environmental Measurements Laboratory The station science technician has operated the system. One sample filter was exposed for the duration of each week, and a weekly schedule of calibration, background, and sample counts was maintained. The RAMP system is part of a global network seeking to characterize the quantity and distribution of radionuclide particles occurring both naturally and artificially in the atmosphere. The battery in the MCA was replaced on 04 October, and in the aftermath of this operation it came to light that one of the MCA's counting parameters was improperly set and had been incorrect since July 1998. The parameter was reset on 11 October, at the next conclusion of the background - calibration - sample counting sequence. Also on 11 October, the PC's clock was set forward in order to keep it on Palmer local time, which shifted from standard to daylight time on the morning of 10 October. Modifications were made to a newly received filter cartridge to allow it to fit into the sampling housing, and the modified cartridge was first used beginning on 15 October. OO-283-P ANTARCTIC AUTOMATED WEATHER STATIONS. Charles Stearns, University of Wisconsin The station science technician has monitored the local sites. Automated Weather Station (AWS) transmissions were monitored from Bonaparte Point and RACER Rock using the TeraScan system. TO-312-O TERASCAN SATELLITE IMAGING SYSTEM. R. Whritner, Scripps Institution of Oceanography The station science technician has operated the system. Throughout the month, the TeraScan system collected, archived, and processed DMSP and NOAA satellite pass telemetry, maintaining a schedule of 19-23 passes per day. Two to three encrypted SeaWiFs passes were also collected and archived each day. NOAA, DMSP, and encrypted SeaWiFs telemetry were archived for BP-032-O when the LTER grid was clear of clouds. 85 GHz SSM/I ice concentration images were sent to BP-032-O on a weekly basis. A configuration file was modified to switch the reception frequency for NOAA-15 when the satellite changed transmitters. The TeraScan SparcStation was configured for DNS and email receipt. Visible and microwave ice images were produced and provided to the R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD prior to and during its cruises to Palmer. TO-513-O UV MONITORING NETWORK. C. Booth, Biospherical Instruments, Inc. The station science technician has operated the system. Throughout the month, raw irradiance data scans were collected daily and transmitted to BSI, and preliminary irradiances and spectral integrals were produced in support of Science. Absolute calibration scans were performed as scheduled. The project's spare DMM, power supply, and HRAD were checked for proper operation. Plots showing this year's noontime values of selected irradiance integrals against historical values were received from BSI, printed, and posted on station for general viewing. New calibration files were received from BSI and incorporated into the daily processing routine. spectral integrals were produced in support of Science. Absolute calibration scans were performed as scheduled. The project's spare DMM, power supply, and HRAD were checked for proper operation. Plots showing this year's noontime values of selected irradiance integrals against historical values were received from BSI, printed, and posted on station for general viewing. New calibration files were received from BSI and incorporated into the daily processing routine.