PALMER STATION SCIENCE MONTHLY REPORT April 2003 Dr. Bruce Sidell, Station Science Leader NEWS FROM THE LAB Brett C. Pickering, Winter Assistant Supervisor April saw the arrival of the fish biology groups, BO-036-L/P (Sidell) and BO-037-L/P (Detrich); JerriLynn Hollyfield, a TEA working with BO-022-O (Amsler); the VLF grantee for AO-306-O (Inan); a three-person rigger team tasked with restringing the rhombic antenna; the RPSC Dive Coordinator; and the Capital Equipment Specialist. These personnel brought station population from 26 to a cozy 44 for most of the month. Upon arrival of the R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD station personnel transferred all the cargo for the incoming grantees to their designated lab spaces. After a couple days of settling in and setting up the labs the ship took members of BO-036-L/P (Sidell) and BO-037-L/P (Detrich) to Dallmann Bay for a fishing trip. They returned back to station three days later with a load of various fishes, skates and octopi. The Aquarium was now nearly full with fish and invertebrates from the three on-station biological science groups. Early in the month the Environmental Rooms suffered another setback. The main compressor for Environmental Room One lost its charge due to corrosion in its evaporator coil. The back up compressor (which can serve to cool either environmental room individually but not both at the same time) was then shifted from cooling Room Two (which at the time was not in use but was being tested for use by BO-036) to Room One to support ongoing experiments by BO-022-O (Amsler). Room Two's main compressor failed sometime in the past year leaving the backup as the only means to cool this room. Once BO-036-L/P (Sidell) and BO-037-L/P (Detrich) arrived both rooms were needed due to differing temperature requirements. Contingencies were explored between the three science groups and lab management in case nothing could be done to rectify the problems with Room Two's compressor. An old compressor that once served to cool a freezer in GWR was found on station, tested and installed by the Maintenance Specialist, Gary Jirschele, while the icefish groups were away from station during their first fishing trip. Gary's hard work and skills enabled him to bring Environmental Room Two back on line; however, this must be seen as only a temporary fix and this perennial problem deserves serious attention. The R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD then left station, taking OO-124-O on a 12 day cruise to the Weddell Sea for oceanographic work while BO-036 and -037 remained at the station to perform laboratory analyses on captured specimens. After the ship returned to Palmer Station members of BO-036-L/P (Sidell) and BO-037-L/P (Detrich) once again loaded up for another fishing trip to Dallmann Bay. Two members of BO-022-O (Amsler) also went on the cruise to collect amphipods, a bi-catch from the fish pots. As winter continued to set in during April the area wildlife responded accordingly. Skua sightings fell off to zero by the month's end. The appearance of Snow Petrels during storms marked another sign that winter is arriving. Wildlife highlights on station included a group of four Crabeater Seals that hauled out on evening and spent the evening between the Boat House and Biolab Building. The Giant Petrel chicks continued to tough it out on their nests loosing their down and becoming ready for their first flights. Wildlife seen in the Palmer area included: Adelie Penguins, Antarctic Terns, Blue-Eyed Shags, Brown Skuas, Crabeater Seals, Elephant Seals, Fur Seals, Gentoo Penguins, Kelp Gulls, Leopard Seals, Pintado Petrels Sheathbills, and South Polar Skuas. April showers arrived at Palmer Station bring a total of 81.7 mm of precipitation during 27 of the month's 30 days. Snowfall accumulated to a maximum depth of 27 cm near the end of the month allowing the skiers to hit the slopes once again. The skies over Palmer were occluded by cloud 25 days, but during the four partly cloudy days and one clear day all enjoyed the sights of the Antarctic Peninsula. Winds gusted to a maximum of 67 knots and averaged 9 knots for the week. The following projects conducted research at Palmer Station during March: BP-013-P: PALMER, ANTARCTICA LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH PROJECT: LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE ANTARCTIC MARINE ECOSYSTEM: CLIMATE MIGRATION, ECOSYSTEM RESPONSE AND TELECONNECTIONS IN AN ICE-DOMINATED ENVIRONMENT: SEABIRD COMPONENT William R. Fraser, Principal Investigator, Polar Oceans Research Group, Sheridan, MT. Personnel on station: None Station personnel monitored the growth of Giant Petrel chicks on Humble Island. Once or twice a week as weather and ice conditions allowed the chicks were weighed and presence of parents noted. BO-022-P: THE CHEMICAL ECOLOGY OF SHALLOW-WATER MARINE MACROALGAE AND INVERTEBRATES ON THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA Charles Amsler and James McClintock, Principal Investigators, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Bill Baker, Principal Investigator, University of South Florida Personnel on station: Chuck Amsler, Maggie Amsler, Anne Fairhead, Yusheng Huang, Kevin Peters, Stephanie Weiss, JerriLynn Hollyfield (TEA participant) JerriLynn Hollyfield, a participant in the Teachers Experiencing the Arctic and Antarctic (TEA) program, joined our group with the arrival of LMG03-04 on 9 April. During April our group completed 40 dives to collect subtidal marine macroalgae and macroinvertebrates in the local waters around Palmer Station. In the lab, a full suite of laboratory experiments was running throughout the month. Bioassays of sponges, tunicates, and macroalgae, both as fresh tissue and as organic extracts, were conducted using both sea stars and amphipods as bioassay "taste testers." Small and large scale chemical extractions and purifications of invertebrates and algae were ongoing throughout the month. Near the end of April we terminated a long term (100 day) defense induction experiment with the sponge Suberites sp. that was initiated in January. We are grateful to BO-036-L/P (Sidell) and BO-037-L/P (Detrich) for allowing two members of our group to accompany them on a 4 day LMG fishing cruise and collect carnivorous amphipods that come up on the bait of their fish pots. We cannot get these amphipods in quantity in shallow waters near the station and they will allow us to bioassay a pure compound from sponges we suspect defends them from the amphipods by acting as a molt inhibitor. We are also grateful for the generous and professional assistance of numerous RPSC staff for facilitating our laboratory and field operations. BP-032-P: PALMER, ANTARCTICA LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH PROJECT: LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH ON THE ANTARCTIC MARINE ECOSYSTEM: CLIMATE MIGRATION, ECOSYSTEM RESPONSE AND TELECONNECTIONS IN AN ICE-DOMINATED ENVIRONMENT: BIO-OPTICS, REMOTE SENSING, SEA ICE COMPONENT Principle Investigator: Dr. Raymond C. Smith, ICESS, University of California at Santa Barbara Personnel on Station: None The Winter Assistant Supervisor, Lab Operations collected weekly water samples from Palmer Station's seawater intake. The samples were then filtered in a darkened laboratory and stored in a -70 freezer for subsequent processing by the grantee. BO-036-L/P: COLD BODY TEMPERATURE AS AN EVOLUTIONARY SHAPING FORCE IN THE PHYSIOLOGY OF ANTARCTIC FISHES Bruce D. Sidell, Principal Investigator School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine Personnel on station: Jeffrey Erickson, Jamie Hendrickson, Timothy Moerland and Bruce D. Sidell All personnel departed Punta Arenas on 5 April aboard the ARSV L.M. Gould and arrived at Palmer Station on 9 April after a reasonably agreeable crossing of the Drake Passage. Set up of laboratory space at Palmer Station was begun immediately and on the morning of 11 April, all personnel reembarked on the L.M. Gould for a fishing trip to Dallmann Bay, where we arrive at ca. 1600 on the same day. Fishing operations were conducted (in conjunction with Project BO-037-L/P) using both benthic Otter trawls and baited fish pots until late in the day on 13 April, when transit back to Palmer Station began with arrival at 0830 on 14 April. (Please see LM Gould SITREPS for details of catch.) Fish were immediate transferred to aquaria at Palmer Station upon our arrival. Laboratory work for our project this year at Palmer focuses on two areas of emphasis: 1) We are extending our survey of myoglobin expression in hearts of Antarctic notothenioid fishes to encompass as wide a variety of red-blooded nototheniods as possible. Heart muscle is being harvested from as many different species as are captured and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and Western Blot (immunoblotting) are being used to detect the presence/absence of myoglobin in cardiac muscles of these species (Sidell). 2) We are performing experiments that will contribute to an extensive biochemical and biophysical characterization of the intracellular Ca++-binding protein, which is integral to relaxation of glycolytic muscle in these animals. To this end, we are purifying parvalbumins from Antarctic fish species by chromatographic methods (Erickson). These purified proteins also are being used to measure kinetics of both Ca++ binding and dissociation to the protein, using the stopped-flow kinetics accessory to the station's Perkin-Elmer LS-50 spectrofluorometer (Erickson/Moerland). A parallel study is examining the possible interspecific relationship between fiber diameter of muscles and parvalbumin concentration of the tissue (Moerland). For these studies, muscle tissue is being fixed and a subsample of tissue from the same animals frozen; these samples will be transported to our CONUS laboratories for subsequent electron microscopic examination and biochemical analyses. cDNA of the parvalbumin gene from muscles of Antarctic species are being prepared on site using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and oligonucleotide primers that we have developed at our home laboratory based upon mass spectrometer sequence data of purified parvalbumin from the Antarctic icefish, Chaenocephalus aceratus (Hendrickson). Additional tissue and blood samples are being harvested from several species and frozen for later analyses at our CONUS laboratory. A second successful fishing effort was conducted (in conjunction with Project BO-037) in Dallmann Bay between 25-28 April, providing a resupply of experimental animals for our laboratory work. We wish to thank RPSC personnel, both at Palmer Station and aboard the L.M. Gould and Master, officers and crew of the L.M. Gould for their exceptional support this season. They have made critical contributions to both the scientific success and the personal enjoyment of our work in Antarctica this year. BO-037 L/P: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND EXPRESSION OF TUBULINS, GLOBINS, AND MICROTUBULE-DEPENDENT MOTORS FROM COLD-ADAPTED ANTARCTIC FISHES Principal Investigator: H. William Detrich, Dept. of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA Personnel on Station: Ennio Cocca, Steven Hann, Sandra Parker, Chris Amemiya, and Naomi Ward Our field season began on 5 April with the departure of the above field team members from Punta Arenas, Chile, on board the ARSV Laurence M. Gould at the start of Cruise LMG-0304. We arrived at Palmer Station on 9 July and spent the next two days setting up our laboratory facilities before our first fishing trip. During this cruise, two fishing trips to Dallmann Bay were conducted in conjunction with Project BO-036 (Sidell). Both conventional bottom-trawling operations and the baited-trap fishing method were successful. For details on the fishing yields, refer to BO-036 report. At Palmer Station we initiated several studies. Hann purified RNAs from spleen, head kidney, heart, brain, red and white blood cells, and muscle of Notothenia coriiceps, Chaenocephalus aceratus, Gobionotothen gibberifrons, and Chionodraco rastrospinosus. Also prepared were extracts of N. coriiceps testes for later purification of CCT protein at our home institution. Cocca and Parker began pilot studies on in vivo DNA transfection techniques in the spleen of N. coriiceps in order to investigate globin promoter function. Ward extracted genomic DNA from the intestinal tract flora of 9 species of Antarctic fish. rRNA was amplified from each sample for further analysis. Freshly caught specimens were sampled to compare to the individuals held at Palmer aquarium and the intestinal and stomach linings were sampled from one representative of each species as were intestinal parasites. Amemiya prepared high molecular weight DNAs for 11 species. These samples will be used for preparing Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) libraries for comparative genomics approaches on the Antarctic Notothenioids. In addition, lymphoid tissues (spleen, blood, liver, epigonal organ, leydig gland) were removed from four skate specimens. Amemiya will use the lymphoid tissues to prepare frozen sections and isolate genes encoding immune receptors. The goal would be to determine if their immune receptor molecules (such as immunoglobulins) undergo positive Darwinian selection to allow cold-adaptation. On 3 May, Sandra Parker, Chris Amemiya and Naomi Ward departed Palmer aboard the ARSV Laurence M. Gould and arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile on 7 May. Ennio Cocca and Steven Hann remain at Palmer Station and continue the studies while waiting the arrival of H. W. Detrich and Barbara Methe on the next cruise. We thank the ship and station personnel for their help in making the first part of our field season a success. GO-052-P: GPS CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING REFERENCE STATION. Jerry Mullins, Principal Investigator, U.S. Geological Survey. The Science Technician operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. Assistance with the roving GPS unit was provided to the grantees this month. Throughout the month, 15 second GPS epoch data was collected continually at station PALM, compressed, and transmitted to the USGS in Reston, VA. GO-090-P: GLOBAL SEISMOGRAPH NETWORK (GSN) SITE AT PALMER STATION. Rhett Butler, Principal Investigator, Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS). The Science Technician operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. Station PMSA is one of more than 130 sites in the GSN, monitoring seismic waves produced by events worldwide. Data files were recorded to tape and also sent to the USGS in real time. OO-204-O: A STUDY OF ATMOSPHERIC OXYGEN VARIABILITY IN RELATION TO ANNUAL TO DECADAL VARIATIONS IN TERRESTRIAL AND MARINE ECOSYSTEMS. Ralph Keeling, Principal Investigator, Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Air samples were collected on a semiweekly basis by the station physician. The goal of this project is to resolve seasonal and interannual variations in atmospheric O2 (detected through changes in O2/N2 ratio), which can aid in determining rates of marine biological productivity and ocean mixing. The results are also used to help determine the terrestrial and oceanic distribution of the global anthropogenic CO2 sink. The program involves air sampling at a network of sites in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Palmer Station is especially well situated for resolving signals of carbon cycling in the Southern Ocean. Samples taken from the station are sent to Scripps where the analysis of O2 and CO2 content takes place. OO-264-O: COLLECTION OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR FOR THE NOAA\CMDL WORLDWIDE FLASK SAMPLING NETWORK. David Hofmann, Principal Investigator, Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Air samples were collected on a weekly basis by the station physician. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory continues its long term measurements of carbon dioxide and other climate relevant atmospheric gases. The Palmer Station air samples are returned to the NOAA laboratory for analysis as part of NOAA's effort to determine and assess the long term buildup of global pollutants in the atmosphere. Data from this experiment will be used in modeling studies to determine how the rate of change of these parameters affects climate. OO-275-O: DOE-EML REMOTE ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENTS PROGRAM (RAMP). Colin Sanderson, Principal Investigator, Department of Energy, Environmental Measurements Laboratory. The Science Technician operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. The experiment was repaired once during the month. 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. One sample filter was exposed for the duration of each week, and a weekly schedule of calibration, background, and sample counts was maintained. OO-283-P: ANTARCTIC AUTOMATIC WEATHER STATIONS (AWS). Charles Stearns, Principal Investigator, University of Wisconsin. The Science Technician monitors data transmissions for the project. AWS transmissions from Bonaparte Point, Hugo Island, and RACER Rock were monitored using the TeraScan system. The RACER Rock anemometer is broken. The Hugo Island AWS is not currently transmitting. The Bonaparte Point AWS failed during the month and was repaired. AO-306-P: GLOBAL THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE RADIATION BELTS AND THE LOWER IONOSPHERE. Umran Inan, Principal Investigator, Stanford University. The Science Technician operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. The grantee was on station, and the Science Technician provided assistance in performing the yearly calibration and maintenance of the system. The Stanford equipment receives and records Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio waves in order to study natural ionospheric and magnetospheric phenomena, as well as to study the distribution of the lightning strikes that are a principle source of natural VLF signals. Broadband synoptic data was recorded on a schedule of 3 out of every 15 minutes each day, and broadband continuous data was collected for 9 hours/day. Narrowband continuous data was collected for 6 hours each day. TO-312-O: TERASCAN SATELLITE IMAGING SYSTEM. Dan Lubin, Principal Investigator, Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The Science Technician operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. Throughout the month, the TeraScan system collected, archived, and processed DMSP and NOAA satellite telemetry, capturing approximately 25 passes per day. Weekly 85GHz SSM/I "ice concentration" images were produced and transferred to UCSB for BP 032 P (Smith). Ice images were provided to the R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD for use in planning and navigation. TO-513-O: ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRORADIOMETER NETWORK Charles Booth, Principal Investigator, Biospherical Instruments, Inc. The Science Technician operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. The BSI UV monitor produces full sky irradiance spectra ranging from the atmospheric UV cutoff near 290nm up to 605nm, four times per hour, while the sun is above the horizon. TIDE GAGE Tony Amos, Point of Contact, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute. The Science Technician operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. Tide height and sea water temperature and salinity were monitored on a continual basis by a gage mounted at the Palmer Station pier. METEOROLOGY The Science Technician acts as chief weather observer, and compiles and distributes meteorological data. Each day, three synoptic weather observations were performed, coded, and sent to Rothera Station via HF radio. At the end of the month, a summary report was prepared and sent to interested parties. A schedule of maintenance and calibration for the meteorological instruments was initiated. The Science Technician is working with the RPSC meteorologist, project engineer, and Coastal Environmental Systems, the maker of the software, to establish automated synoptic report generation.