PALMER STATION SCIENCE MONTHLY REPORT March 2004 Hugh Ducklow, Station Science Leader NEWS FROM THE LAB Hugh Ducklow, Station Science Leader The summer research season came to an end amid wind and rain in the last week of March. The LMG brought bright weather along with the winter crew and the rest of the B-022 team on 03 April. As the month ended there was still moderate to high plankton biomass in Arthur Harbor, sustained by alternating periods of wind mixing and sunny days. The glacier remained active too, with several days of spectacular calving events, keeping the boat basin filled with brash ice, as it has been for much of the season. Nearly all the Adélie penguins have departed to the south for the winter, leaving some Gentoos in the area, along with nesting Giant Petrels and Brown Skuas. The latter however experienced another bad breeding year, with all monitored pairs having lost or eaten this year's chicks. Besides the resident science groups, we had guest science lectures from Greg Mitchell (B-228-L) and Mark McDonald (B-239-L) on iron limitation of phytoplankton growth and acoustic tracking of whales, respectively. The Argentine Icebreaker Almirante Irizar visited briefly on 03 April, completing a busy season of visits by cruise ships, private yachts and research vessels. With the departure of the summer research groups, Palmer LTER completed 13 successive - and successful -- years of biweekly observations in the local Palmer area, defining seasonal cycles of plankton dynamics and seabird breeding success and failure. The following projects conducted research at Palmer Station during March: 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. BO-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: Bill Fraser, Heidi Geisz, Mark Lefens Though the weather in March was not ideal, we had access to our remote island sites, which allowed us to complete the acquisition of the final LTER Seabird Component core field data. We were able to finish Adelie penguin work for the season, which included maintenance and retrieval of our telemetry equipment and searching the area for several satellite-linked transmitters on the ground or attached to adult molting Adelies. Utilizing the time provided by patchy weather conditions, we were able to process sediment trap contents from Adelie penguin breeding colonies. Our last Adelie penguin project included setting up an experiment on Dream Island examining the affects of snow drifting on Adelie foraging success. Additionally, we continued the acquisition of basic data on the demography, breeding biology and foraging ecology of Giant Petrels, Kelp Gulls, Blue- eyed Shags and Brown and South Polar Skuas. These data add to several species-specific time series that began in the mid-1970s. Our work in March benefited greatly from the able assistance provided by many Raytheon Polar Services Company employees at Palmer Station. Special thanks to Andy Martinez and the FEMC crew for quick support on the Dream Island project. 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, Peter Horne, Erin Bostrom and Eli Loomis (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) Palmer inshore stations E and B were sampled in complete profile eight times during the Month of March. Weather completely prohibited sampling once, and forced collection of only CTD and surface water on one other occasion. Four microzooplankton grazing experiments, and two phytoplankton/bacterial interaction experiments were also completed this month. The final 2003-2004 summer season sampling took place on April 2, and with the completion of sample processing, packing for departure on April 8th began in earnest. Preliminary results of standard primary production estimates show the monthly average to be at (station E) or below (station B) those of when we began sampling at the start of the 2003-2004 summer season. Conversely, chlorophyll a measurements remained at (station B) or slightly above (station E) those of the average for the season. This could be attributed to what appears to be the dominance of smaller cells, primarily dinoflagellates, found in the qualitative ring net samples. We would like to extend our gratitude to the entire RPSC staff and other science groups at Palmer Station and onboard the LM Gould for their invaluable assistance given to us over the course of the field season. Without your support and patience, our field season would not have been neither as productive, nor as enjoyable. Thank you. B-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, Kevin Peters, Hla Win Although our ability to conduct diving operations was impacted by a great deal of bad weather and by minor injury or illness of two of the four team divers, we completed 27 research dives during March. Ten of these dives were in Kristie Cove, primarily to clean and otherwise maintain an experiment examining the effect of increased ultraviolet radiation on brown algal metabolites that can have defensive roles against both ultraviolet radiation and herbivores. On many of these dives, macroalgae and amphipods were also collected for laboratory assays. Sixteen dives were performed primarily to collect subtidal marine macroalgae and macroinvertebrates in the local waters around Palmer Station. One dive was made at the station pier primarily as a check out for the station underwater video camera and to video tape the station ground wire off the pier for FEMC although macroalgae were also collected for research on that dive. In the lab, a full suite of laboratory experiments were up and running early in the month. Bioassays of sponges and one species of tunicate, both as fresh tissue and as organic extracts, were conducted throughout the month using sea stars as bioassay "taste testers." Small and large scale chemical extractions and purifications of invertebrates and algae were conducted. Secondary metabolite purification and/or quantification using both colorimetric, HPLC, and GC techniques are ongoing. During the last week of the month, set-up of a month long aquarium experiment was complete. This experiment examines the potential for herbivory by two species of amphipods and one species of snails to induce production of brown algal metabolites that can have defensive roles against both ultraviolet radiation and herbivores. We are grateful for the generous and professional assistance of numerous RPSC staff. Doug Fink, Barb Watson, and Cara Sucher deserve special thanks for facilitating our field and laboratory operations. Andy Martinez, Jeff Gustafson, Gary Jirschele, and Dan Weisblatt provided expert technical support for our aquarium experiment. In addition, we are very grateful to the RPSC staff who have volunteered to assist our project by dive tending. 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: Hugh Ducklow and Lauren Rogers We were just slightly hampered by weather in the past month, losing one sampling day to high winds. The bacterial bloom we observed at Stations B and E in February declined all during March, reaching levels similar to those observed in the early season (late October) by the end of the month. Over the course of the full season, bacteria had two distinct month-long bloom periods superimposed on a low background level of activity. Preliminary comparisons suggest these blooms followed phytoplankton blooms by about ten days. Bacterial production was less than 5% of the contemporaneous primary production, probably as a result of low DOC release rates. We completed analyses of the 2002-03 and 2003-04 dissolved organic carbon (DOC) samples. DOC at stations B and E fluctuated between 40-60 ?M, with no clear pattern of short-term accumulation. In neither year was there a seasonal-scale accumulation followed by drawdown, as seen in the Ross Sea. Analysis of deepwater profiles (0 - 3000 m) showed enrichment by ~10-20 ?M above the deep ocean concentration (~40 ?M) in the upper 50 m. We have now sampled microbial properties and DOC during the past 3 seasons in Arthur Harbor, observing substantial interannual variations in the rates and patterns of bacterial activity. We acknowledge the tireless support of the entire staff at Palmer Station, especially boating coordinator Doug Fink, Lab manager Cara Sucher, Instrument Technician Barb Watson, and Waste Specialists Mike Jayred and Tim Kramer, all of whom kept our science running on a day-to-day basis. 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. This month the GPS reference station's real-time correction factors were used to identify and correct the positions of the antenna loops for the Stanford VLF project (A-306-P). 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. The system has been operating well. Local seismic activity was quiet this month except for the frequent glacier calvings behind the station; these show up on the graphs as very short duration, high-frequency events when compared to the long-period global earthquakes received by the system. 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 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. Air samples are collected on a weekly basis by the station physician. O-275-O DOE-EML REMOTE ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENTS PROGRAM (RAMP). Colin Sanderson, Principal Investigator, Department of Energy, Environmental Measurements Laboratory 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. The Research Associate operates and maintains on-site equipment for the project. 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). The R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD visited Racer Rock AWS with the intent of replacing the unit's broken anemometer. On arrival they found the entire unit in poor shape and have removed it from service pending maintenance and replacement parts. 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. 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. Late in March the post holes were re-drilled for the antenna line running up the glacier. At the same time, the holes for the posts that hold the antenna loops were also re-drilled and the loops re-positioned. The loops are supposed to be oriented orthogonally east-west and north-south, but rainfall and seasonal melting had left the posts in awkward, incorrect positions. Rain has continued into April, again melting the posts out and leaving the antenna mast perched on a small pedestal of ice, however the rain is slowly changing to snow and the entire system should soon freeze in place. In addition to the antenna and cable maintenance, special broadband VLF recording were made in support of a collaborative project called CAWSES (Climate and Weather of the Sun Earth System). The objective of the CAWES campaign is to put together a satellite and ground-based Sun-to-Earth data set with coverage that dips down into the lower atmosphere. 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). Sea ice imagery was provided to the R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD, O-124-L (Gordon) and G-092-O (Domack). These images are used for determining the distribution of pack ice in the Weddell Sea, South Orkney Islands, and Larsen Ice Shelf regions in preparation for cruise LMG04-04 in late April. 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/ . The UV monitor has been operating well. Late in March a temperature control device failed, causing some temperature instability in the instrument's enclosure, but data collection continued unabated and the controller has been replaced. A triple absolute scan was also completed, and instrument cabling further secured after high winds forced a cable up and over the optical collector on the auxiliary GUV instrument. 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, 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. At the end of the month a summary report was prepared and sent to interested parties. Weather data collected using the automated electronic system is archived locally and forwarded weekly to the University of Wisconsin for their forecasting models and data records. Synoptic reports are automatically generated every 6 hours by the Palmer Meteorological Observing System (PALMOS) and emailed to the NOAA for entry into the Global Telemetry Stream (GTS). Current weather observations for all Antarctic stations, including Palmer, are available on the web at: http://www.wunderground.com/global/AA.html. The PALMOS instrumentation resides on Gamage Point, the rocky outcrop just west of Palmer's Biolab building. Gamage Point is an exposed location, making it ideal for weather data collection but also presenting challenges for equipment maintenance. The optical sensors are especially susceptible to degradation due to salt spray collecting on the lenses. As a result, the sensor cleaning and inspection schedule has been compressed to make sure the sensors continue to function properly.