PALMER STATION SCIENCE MONTHLY REPORT November 2003 NEWS FROM THE LAB Cara M. Sucher, Sr. Assistant Supervisor, Laboratory Operations November always seems to be such a busy month that you blink and it's over. Perhaps it's due to the excitement of a new season finally getting underway and old, familiar habits falling back into place. In any event, research is in full swing now that most groups are settled into their routines. The brash ice cleared out at the start of the month, but high winds prevented boating for part of the first week. Everyone was finally able to get out and sample around the 4th though the brash returned just as the Gould arrived on the 12th and hung around for a few days more. The second half of the month was finally ice-free with winds calm enough for consistent boating operations. Lucy Bledsoe, a writer participating in the NSF Artist and Writers Program, arrived at Palmer in mid-November and helped bring out some of the Station's creative juices. Lucy participated in the Artist and Writer's program four years ago on the other side of the continent and recently published a young-adult fiction book, "The Antarctic Scoop", based on her experiences there. She is now writing a sequel with plans to focus on the oceanographic research conducted here at Palmer. Lucy generously shared her time and expertise by leading a fiction-writing workshop followed a week later with an "open mic night" as a forum for people to read their work. Other social activities also abound, including weekly Salsa dancing lessons, "Guts and Butts" exercise classes and a station-wide game of "Murder". The "Palmer Free University" lecture series continues, and this month featured talks by Robbie Score, the RPSC Laboratory Manager, Lucy Bledsoe, and Dan Martin, the field team leader for B-028-P (Ross/Quetin). November proved to be warmer and drier than October, with only 16 mm of melted precipitation and 10 cm of snow. A significant amount of snow cover has melted around Palmer and nighttime temperatures are noticeably warmer than last month - it definitely feels like spring. Wildlife abounds and Gentoo penguins have been visiting Station fairly often. There have been many crabeater and leopard seal sightings and two elephant seals decided to cozy up to the PALMOS weather station tower; luckily they didn't cause any damage. The following projects conducted research at Palmer Station during September: B-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. B-198-P: MONITORING THE EFFECTS OF TOURISM AND ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABILITY ON ADELIE PENGUINS AT PALMER STATION, ANTARCTICA William R. Fraser, Principal Investigator, Polar Oceans Research Group, Sheridan, MT. Personnel on station: Heidi Geisz, Cindy Anderson, Dan Evans, Brett Pickering Though heavy ice denied our access to area islands in mid November (Nov. 12-15), predominantly beautiful weather has allowed us 23 sampling days during the last month. Variable wind and local brash ice have not impeded our overall fieldwork schedule. Brett Pickering was welcomed to the field team early, arriving November 30. Adelie penguin population counts were regularly conducted on our local islands: Torgersen, Christine, Cormorant, Litchfield, and Humble. Based on these numbers, Peak Egg populations were determined arriving at different dates on each of the islands. Continuing the studies on Adelie reproductive biology, true lay dates were determined for the majority of the Torgersen and Humble sites. We were able to collect Adelie egg weights and measurements on a subset of nest contributing to our long term monitoring of reproduction. Additional Adelie research included an intended overnight trip to Dream Island on Nov. 25 to census the entire island in two days. However, weather and tidal conditions permitted us to finish only East Dream in the one day with a follow up trip on the 28th to collect census data on West Dream. Biscoe Point was visited Nov. 29 for Adelie and Gentoo censusing. The overall trend continues with Adelie numbers decreasing while Gentoo populations have increased slightly. A Joubin Island trip was conducted successfully on Dec. 1 giving us Peak Egg counts on these islands in following with the new protocol established last year. South polar and brown skua study sites have been visited every five days to determine arrival dates, pair formation, territory establishment, and egg lay dates. We have pairs forming on all five islands, but only 4 pairs with active nests. The south polar skuas are arriving in greater numbers yet, no eggs have been seen at this time. Blue-eyed shags are being monitored every five days on Cormorant Island with the first eggs being observed Nov. 1 and first chicks on Dec. 2. A sub-sample of the local Giant Petrel population was censused for comparison to an overall Giant Petrel census, which will commence later this month. Additionally, Giant Petrel foraging ecology studies were initiated with the deployment of 4 satellite telemetry tags. A kelp gull survey for nests and adults was conducted covering all local islands and Dream. Our daily marine mammal observations have included several Minke whales and an increasing number of elephant seals hauled out on the islands. One tour ship has visited Palmer Station thus far this season. The tourist visit was monitored on Torgersen Island to obtain data on tourist flow, and to compare aspects of Adelie reproductive biology and ecology with control sites not visited by tourists. Additional thanks to Wendy Beeler and Marge Bolton for providing amazing food, Doug Fink for continuing to keep our boats running great and Chris Vitry for assistance with additional computer needs. B-016-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: PHYTOPLANKTON ECOLOGY COMPONENT Maria Vernet, Principal Investigator, Scripps Institution of Oceanography B-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 Raymond C. Smith, Principal Investigator, ICESS, University of California at Santa Barbara Personnel on station: Wendy Kozlowski, Karie Sines, Peter Horne and Bryan White (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) With the exception of a couple of days of local brash, the weather during the month of November permitted regular boating and sampling. S-016 and S-032 core water column sampling at Stations E and B, as described in the October SitRep, was carried out a total of seven times during the month. Additionally, four microzooplankton grazing experiments, four UV exposure primary production experiments, three time series sea-water-intake experiments and six bi-weekly samplings (both run in conjunction with the Chelsea Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometer data collection) were completed this month. Preliminary results of standard primary production estimates show monthly averages very similar to those of the 2002 season, with production levels starting low in late October, rising three-fold during an early bloom and falling back to early season levels by the end of the month. Qualitative analysis of ring net samples (depth 30-50m) shows the typical populations of mixed diatoms (dominated by Coretheron sp.), cryptomonads and during the production pulse, prymesiophytes. Laboratory work also progressed during the month. Despite the HPLC thermostat breaking mid month, all calibrations are complete for pigment analysis. Data collection issues with the Profiling Reflectance Radiometer (PRR) were also resolved early in the month and data collection and analysis on that instrument is progressing. The Autonomous Profiling Vehicle (APV) was deployed on the first of the month, and retrieved on the fourth. Electronics issues with that instrument prevented any further deployments during the month. Once again, we would like to extend our appreciation to all the RPSC support staff for their help this month. In particular, thanks to Jeff Kietzmann for his tireless assistance with our instrument electronics issues, and to Barb Watson for her quick, effective designing and building of a replacement temperature control mechanism for the HPLC autosampler. B-028-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: PREY COMPONENT Robin Ross and Langdon Quetin, Principal Investigators, Marine Science Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara Personnel on station: Dan Martin (team leader), Kristen Green, Brian Cheng The lack of pack ice in the vicinity of Palmer Station allowed our weekly sampling activities to start early this year. Krill adults have been increasingly abundant in the area the latter half of the month as noted from weekly acoustic transects, krill catches and bird feeding activity. We continue to catch and preserve krill for assessment of chemical composition, carbon and nitrogen, length frequency, sexual maturity and growth rates. Phytoplankton cultures remain healthy. Stocks should be high enough to begin feeding experiments in January in collaboration with T. Frazer, who will be working with Spanish colleagues this season. Cruise preparations at Palmer Station for the annual LTER cruise are complete. Brian Cheng arrived at Palmer Station in mid November and replaced Kristen Green. Brian helped J. Yen collect and sort copepods during the transit to Palmer Station and for one day after his arrival. Support at the station continues to be excellent. B-045-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: MICROBIAL/BIOGEOCHEMISTRY COMPONENT Hugh Ducklow, Principal Investigator, School of Marine Science, The College of William and Mary Personnel on station: Lauren Rogers and Mary Turnipseed Relatively good weather and open water allowed our group to conduct regular near-shore sampling during the month of November. We collected samples from four depths at stations B and E twice weekly, with only one sampling day lost due to heavy sea-ice cover. Our sampling is coordinated with B-016-P in order to facilitate data comparison and synthesis. With two personnel on station this season, we are able to collect samples from our own Zodiac sampling platform, allowing for in-line filtering of dissolved organic carbon samples while at sea. In addition to our regular sampling for DOC, bacterial abundance and production, large volumes (~70L) of water from station A were filtered weekly for organic biomarker analyses. Preliminary results show low bacterial production at the beginning of the month. Production during the middle of the month increased by a factor of four, presumably associated with the sea-ice that was present around Palmer from 11/12 to 11/16. Values dropped back to pre-ice levels by 11/27. Incorporation rates are in the same range as last season. The Shimadzu TOC analyzer continues to run relatively smoothly, thanks to a major pre-season overhaul. The arrival of the LM Gould in mid-November brought DOC standards as well as an amperometric oxygen titration system designed by Chris Langdon of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Despite a few setbacks, the oxygen system is now up and running and will be ready for use on the January 2004 LTER cruise. This being the month of Thanksgiving, we are thankful this month for help from many people. Barb Watson's assistance with troubleshooting and fixing the oxygen titration system was invaluable. We are also grateful to FEMC, especially Bob Jirschele, for their artful and timely construction of wooden boxes to transport samples stored in delicate glass bottles. Thanks also goes to Mike Jayred for quickly responding to our radiation and reagent waste needs, and to Doug Fink for keeping our Zodiac in good condition and helping with improvements to our sampling platform. G-052-P GPS CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING REFERENCE STATION Jerry Mullins, Principal Investigator, U.S. Geological Survey The Research Associate operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. Throughout the month, 15-second GPS epoch data was collected continually at station PALM, compressed, and transmitted to the USGS in Reston, VA. G-090-P GLOBAL SEISMOGRAPH NETWORK (GSN) SITE AT PALMER STATION Rhett Butler, Principal Investigator, Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) The Research Associate 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 are recorded to tape and also sent real-time to the U.S. Geological Survey. O-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 are 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. O-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 are 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. O-275-O DOE-EML REMOTE ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENTS PROGRAM (RAMP) Colin Sanderson, Principal Investigator, Department of Energy, Environmental Measurements Laboratory The Research Associate operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. 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. O-283-P ANTARCTIC AUTOMATIC WEATHER STATIONS (AWS) Charles Stearns, Principal Investigator, University of Wisconsin The Research Associate monitors data transmissions for the project. AWS transmissions from Bonaparte Point, Hugo Island, and Racer Rock were monitored using the TeraScan system. AWS data received was also forwarded to UCSB for BP-032-P (Smith). A-306-P GLOBAL THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE RADIATION BELTS AND THE LOWER IONOSPHERE Umran Inan, Principal Investigator, Stanford University The Research Associate operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. This month new software was installed on the VLF Broadband Synoptic machine, and a malfunctioning connection was diagnosed and repaired. Additionally, the system signal response was analyzed in support of the South Pole beacon project. 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 recorded for 6 hours/day. Narrowband continuous data was collected for 12 hours each day. T-312-O TERASCAN SATELLITE IMAGING SYSTEM Dan Lubin, Principal Investigator, Scripps Institution of Oceanography The Research Associate operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. Throughout the month, the TeraScan system collected, archived, and processed DMSP, NOAA and Orbview (SeaWiFS) 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). T-513-O ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRORADIOMETER NETWORK Charles Booth, Principal Investigator, Biospherical Instruments, Inc The Research Associate operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project A BSI SUV-100 UV spectroradiometer 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. A BSI GUV-511 filter radiometer, which has 4 channels in the UV and 1 channel in the visible for measuring Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR), has recently been installed next to the SUV-100. Data from the GUV-511 instrument is made available on a daily basis on the project's website www.biospherical.com/nsf/ . TIDE GAGE Tony Amos, Point of Contact, The University of Texas Marine Science Institute The Research Associate operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. Tide height and seawater temperature and salinity are monitored on a continual basis by a gage mounted at the Palmer Station pier. METEOROLOGY The Research Associate 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. Weather data collected using the automated system is archived locally, and forwarded weekly to the University of Wisconsin for their forecasting models and data records. The Research Associate is working with the RPSC Meteorologist, Project Engineer, and Coastal Environmental Systems, the maker of the software, to establish automated synoptic report generation. Automated synoptic reporting was successfully demonstrated this month.