PALMER STATION SCIENCE SITREP DECEMBER 1999 William R. Fraser, SSL NEWS FROM THE LAB. Ken Doggett, Sr. Asst. Supervisor, Laboratory Operations Field operations have increased substantially during December. Brash ice was present for the first several days but cleared quickly. Currently there are 17 grantees on Station and a total population of 40. Palmer Station laboratories received two new analytical instruments this month: An HPLC and a scanning spectrofluorometer. The new Hewlett Packard HP1100 HPLC was purchased as a replacement to the Water's system on Station. The system cam complete with UV/Vis, fluorescence and diode array detectors. A thermostatted autosampler and column compartments and an auto-solvent-degasser module were also purchased with the system. The SPEX FluoroMax-2 is a scanning fluorometer selected as a replacement for the Perkin Elmer LS-50B. Both instruments are a welcome addition to Palmer's growing analytical capabilities. A new Zodiac sampling platform was completed and allows BP-016-O (Vernet) and BP-032-O (Smith) to combine their sampling operations. Testing and sampling from the platform has been ongoing throughout the month. The winch failed early in the month but was repaired and sampling during the later part of the month was very successful. The new platform should make the sampling regime more efficient for both groups. Daily average temperature is up to the single digits now at +1.1 C. High for the month was +7.6 C and the low -3.4 C. The snow stake continued to read zero throughout the month with an obvious decrease in snow coverage throughout Station locales. There were 24 days of recorded precipitation during the month with 6.4 cm of melted accumulation and 9 cm of snow. Average wind speed was 9 knots and the maximum gust was 50 knots on the 26th. Palmer continues to see an increase in wildlife populations. Wilson's Storm Petrels have returned and are often seen 'walking on water' in Arthur Harbor. Penguins are now constant visitors on Station and Elephant seals have reoccupied the wallow on the harbor side of BioLab (much to our olfactory delight!). Humpback and Minke whales have been spotted although most of the former's sightings have been from a distance. The following projects conducted 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, Principal Investigator, Biology Department, Montana State University. Personnel on station: William R. Fraser, Peter Duley, Michelle Rosenshield, Erik Chapman, Donna Patterson. Access to our island study sites improved during December, allowing us to get back on schedule in collecting the LTER Seabird Component core data. In late November/early December we completed censuses needed to determine Adelie Penguin overwinter survival and breeding population status. Access to breeding pair sample groups established earlier in the season has also allowed us to continue our studies on the causes of variability in breeding chronology and reproductive success. During the last week of December we set up and tested the Humble Island data link, which permits remote, real-time access to data loggers used to record the presence of Adelie Penguins instrumented with radio transmitters. These data are used to determine the duration of foraging trips, which our studies now reveal are extremely sensitive indicatiors of krill availability in the foraging environment. BP-016-0 LONG TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH (LTER) ON THE ANTARCTIC MARINE ECOSYSTEM: AN ICE-DOMINATED ENVIRONMENT (PHYTOPLANKTON COMPONENT). Maria Vernet, Principal Investigator, Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Personnel on Station: Jill Glass and Karie Sines. December sampling began on the Legend platform with a full profile water collection at both stations E and B on 02 Dec. Surface water from the vicinity of the station seawater intake was collected on 07 and 10 Dec after ice blew back into the harbor. While iced in, the final touches were put on the combined platform for BP-016-O and BP-032-O. On 14 Dec the new platform, affectionately known as "Bruiser", was used to sample at Station E. A full profile of water was taken for station B on the following day, 15 Dec. Seawater intake was sampled again on 23 Dec due to problems with the electric wench. Full profile water collection was completed the next day, 24 Dec, at stations E and B. Station E was sampled again on 30 Dec.Core LTER measurements are continuing to be taken on all water collected. This includes two types of primary productivity experiments (both long term simulated in situ and a short term multi- irradiance incubation), water collection for pigment analysis with HPLC, filtration for particulate Carbon, Hydrogen and Nitrogen analysis, sample collection for nutrient analysis of Nitrate, Silicate and Phosphate, and several preservations for microscopy. BP-016-O would like to thank ALL the people on station who have helped in the past months to get Bruiser on line and keep her there! Thank you so much. BP-028-0 LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH (LTER) ON THE ANTARCTIC MARINE ECOSYSTEM: AN ICE-DOMINATED SYSTEM (PREY COMPONENT). Robin M. Ross and Langdon B.Quetin, Principal Investigators, Marine Science Institute, University of California at Santa Barbara. Personnel on station: Tracy Shaw and Andrew Altieri. Trawls at the beginning of the month netted few krill but quite a few larval fish (mostly N. gibberfrons). Krill from these trawls were all subadults and were used for chemical composition/condition factor analyses. Ice conditions and high winds prevented us from sampling between December 4-13. We took advantage of this time to catch up on data entry and begin preparing for the LTER cruise. Acoustic sampling between December 14-21 showed no krill schools in our transect areas. On December 22 there was a lot of brash ice in the area and we sampled to see if there were krill present when the ice was around. We found a big school of adult and subadult krill at the first place we looked and caught enough for experiments that kept us busy through the holiday weekend. Acoustic surveys for krill during the last week of December (after the brash ice was gone) showed a return to no krill schools in our transect areas. Dan Martin, who arrived on station in October, left Palmer on the R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD on December 9. It was very helpful to have him overlap with his replacement, Andrew Altieri, who arrived at Palmer in late November. Giving Andrew the chance to learn our sampling routine while Dan was still here allowed for a smooth and efficient transition and avoided the delays associated with changing from an experienced field team member to a brand new one. During the last week of December we began preparing in earnest for the LTER Cruise. We greatly appreciate the assistance from ASA staff at Palmer and on the LMG during this process. BP-032-O LONG TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH (LTER) ON THE ANTARCTIC MARINE ECOSYSTEM: AN ICE-DOMINATED ENVIRONMENT (OPTICS COMPONENT). Raymond C. Smith, Principal Investigator, ICESS, University of California at Santa Barbara. Personnel on Station: Lauri Burke and John Milner. In cooperation with BP-016-O, sea water samples have been collected twice weekly, weather permitting, from Station B, Station E, Bonaparte Point, and Gammage Point. Surface water as well as water from five different depths has been collected from Station B and Station E. Sea water samples were filtered for chlorophyll-a in a darkened laboratory. The filters were dissolved in 10 mL of 90% acetone and are stored in scintillation vials in the freezer. We currently have approximately 300 sample vials. The completed zodiac platform has enabled us to cast the CTD from the electric winch on the davit. The PRR and CTD have been cast twice weekly, weather permitting, at Station E and Station B. The raw data files from these casts are converted and FTPd to the Institute for Computational Earth System Sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara on a weekly basis. BO-200-O 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, Jarah Meador , Jason P. Kase, (12/1- 12/8), Jill Peloquin (12/1-12/8), Jennifer Fritz (12/1- 12/8), David Mitchell (12/8), Karen McCrery (12/22 - 12/31) The Smithsonian component of our group (J. Fritz, J, Peloquin) successfully completed their work examining the spectral effects of UV radiation on phytoplankton and bacteria on 1 December. Most of our field team (J. Kase, J. Peloquin, J. Fritz, D. Mitchell), departed in early December, leaving only two of our group (J D. Pakulski, J. Meador) to continue field work and laboratory experiments. During December our diminished field team completed four 28-hour experimental incubations -including one at summer solstice - designed to investigate the influence of sunlight on bacterial production over complete day-night cycles. We also completed 4 experiments measuring the diurnal effects of natural UV- B, UV-A and PAR on bacterial production, the expression of Rec A, and UV-induced DNA damage during exposure to full spectrum sunlight. Although, at times, hampered in our ability to collect water offshore during early December, we were able to sample water from LTER Stations B and E on 2 and 4 occasions, respectively, during the month. Water samples obtained from these stations were exposed to different wavelengths and intensities of light in a solar simulator to measure photoinhibition of bacterial leucine, thymidine and uridine incorporation. The data collected using our "standard sun" will allow us to examine seasonal changes in the susceptibility of bacterioplankton to growth inhibition by UV-B, UV-A, and PAR. We also collected samples from the LTER stations for bacterial abundances and phylogenetics (to examine seasonal changes in bacterioplankton commnity structure), chlorophyll, and particulate DNA. CTD and light profiles were also measured on at Stations B and E on 12 December. In addition our ongoing seasonal investigations of the response of marine bacteria to UV radiation, J Meador and D. Mitchell have also isolated bacteria from glacial ice and have visualized them using DAPI staining and epifluorescence microscopy. These bacteria have been cultured and will be used for nucleotide excision repair (NER) and photoenzymatic repair (PER) studies following irradiation using the solar simulator. NER and PER studies were also conducted on 4 strains of bacteria isolated from Arthur Harbor to determine if some strains are more efficient at DNA repair than others. Our preliminary results suggested that there is a substantial difference in repair capabilities among the different isolates. Using water collected by Karie Sines (BP-016-O), we were able to isolate and culture bacteria isolated from water collected from LTER Stations B and E at depths corresponding to 1%, 5%, 10%, 30%, 60% and 100% incident light. These experiments will examine the DNA repair capabilities of bacteria existing under a wide range of ambient light intensities. A plasmid dosimeter study was also performed during summer solstice. A plasmid dosimeter consists of 2 different plasmids (circular double stranded DNA) in equimolar concentrations contained within a UV-transparent quartz cuvette. Plasmid dosimeters were exposed to direct sunlight at 0.3, 1, 3, and 10 meters in the water column and collected at intervals over a 24 hour period. The plasmids will be used to quantify specific types of DNA damage such as cyclobutane dimers, (6-4) photoproducts, and oxidative damage which are induced by intense doses of UVB. The newest member of our group, Karen McCrery, joined us on 21 December. Karen will investigate the influence of UV radiation of marine bacteria using a differential display technique. She conducted several diel experiments during the last week of December. Her work will enable us to quantify bacterial mRNA fragments transcribed in response to ambient UV radiation. Without the support of Palmer Station ASA personnel, this work would not have been possible. In particular we would like to thank Ken Doggett and Howard Tobin for lab support, Andy Sutton and Lora Folger for ensuring that our equipment and computers were Y2K compatible, and Ross Hein for maintaining our zodiac and assistance in sample collections. We would also like to acknowledge the help of the ASA personnel and crew of the R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD in collecting water for us at LTER station E during periods where zodiac operations were not possible due to weather or ice conditions. BO-279-O SURFACE UV IRRADIANCE AND PAR VARIABILITY OVER ANTARCTICA. Paul Ricchiazzi, UCSB, Principal Investigator, Catherine Gautier, UCSB, Co-Principal Investigator, Dan Lubin, SIO, Co-Principal Investigator. Personnel on station: Dan Lubin. During December 1999, the turnover between the first field party (Ricchiazzi/Payton) and its relief (Lubin) went smoothly. Before departing, Paul Ricchiazzi and Allison Payton accomplished one final balloon flight for surface albedo mapping, which was sufficient to characterize the regional surface albedo for most of December. Between 09 and 22 December, regular noontime all-sky and sea ice digital photography was carried out with the kind assistance of John Milner (LTER). As of 22 December, Dan Lubin has taken over all of the project's data collection duties. During late December, weather and local ice conditions finally permitted a regular data collection strategy from GUV radiometers deployed on Janus and Outcast Islands. This experiment was modified from that originally planned. Early in December it was found that the Zodiacs give too choppy a ride through the water for acceptable radiometry along transects (even with the radiometers in gimbals), and we switched to a strategy of static deployments on the two islands, to be periodically serviced by battery replacement. With a total of three static deployments (Palmer, Janus, Outcast), we encompass exactly the required geographical range for maximal UV/PAR variability, as expected from our published radiative transfer calculations. The logistical challenge with this experiment remains battery endurance in the cold environment. The station has lent our project 6 deep- cycle wet cells of approximately 100 ampere-hour capacity, until our own extra batteries arrive on January 7. Presently we must make boat trips out to the islands every third day, and then every second day, to keep the radiometers running for most of the time. The long daylight hours help to offset the battery endurance issue: the radiometers provide useful data nearly all the time that they are running, because the radiative effects we are attempting to measure are expected to be independent of sun elevation. The TeraScan data collection protocol has been updated after consulation with the station Science Technician (Dan Lubin is the Principal Investigator for the SIO Arctic and Antarctic Research Center, the satellite data processing facility to which the Palmer TeraScan data are eventually sent for archival and distribution). NOAA-14 overpasses are now to be preferred over NOAA-12 (when two orbits conflict), because the former benefit from monthly radiometric calibration information distributed by NOAA/NESDIS. For DMSP data, F-13 is preferred over F-14 (again for resolving orbit conflicts), because the former has all of its sensors working. For the benefit of S-279, at least one and possibly 2-3 daylight NOAA-15 passes are also collected. At least 2 SeaWIFS overpasses are collected per day near mid-day, for direct distribution to NASA (NASA has the ultimate responsibility for archiving and distributing SeaWIFS data). Overall, TeraScan data collection strategy remains to prefer overpasses that encompass Anvers I. and the Peninsula (for the benefit of LTER), with an occasional overpass (typically 1-2 per day) that is orthogonal to the Peninsula and misses Anvers I. but which has greater coverage over the Pole, the Bellingshausen, or Weddell Seas. This way the Palmer TeraScan system provides a combination of good support for ongoing science programs, and also maximizes geographical coverage for long-term archival purposes. The GUV, GIR, and MFRSR radiometer systems at T-5 have remained operational with only minimal interruption during the Y2K transition (their older datalogging computers had to be manually reset). All-sky digital photography continues at mid-day, with additional photographs taken at the times of some satellite overpasses. WO-004-O ANTARCTICA 2000, ARTISTS AND WRITERS PROGRAM. Personnel on station: Doug Quinn and Steve Dunbar. Since Steve Dunbar and I arrived at Palmer Station, we have been busy making sound recordings and broadcasting a series of radio programs from our "production studio" in the Bio Lab. The Antarctica 2000 website was launched in the first week of December (from aboard the Gould) and has received more than 130,000 hits. The URL is: www.antarctica200.net. The site includes daily journal entries, science reports, MP3 audio clips and a photo gallery. We have been successful in making high quality, digital audio recordings of a wide variety of fauna and other sounds including, elephant seals, leopard seals, Adelie penguins, skuas, blue-eyed shags, Antarctic terns, wind, glacier and iceberg calving, etc. The following list is a summary of the radio broadcasts to date, and a few planned for the coming week. December 18, 1999. The NICC (New International Cultural Center), Antwerp, Belgium. Live telephone interview from Palmer Station for the exhibition, "LES OCCASIONS DU TRAVAIL", Legend, Myth, Magic, Evidences/Anachronismes, Tafels en Stoelen, Occasions and Conditions in the Image and Work of the Artist (December 2, 1999-February 19, 2000). December 31, 1999 (Time: Between 11:30am and 12:00pm). VRT - Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep (Flemish Radio and Television), Radio-3: Het Pak van Sjaalman, with host Bart Stouten. A live report from Palmer Station. December 31, 1999 (Time: Between 6-7pm EST). National Public Radio, USA: All Things Considered. A report from Palmer Station. January 1, 2000 (Time: 11:00pm). Akustische Kunst, "The Millennium...Live from Antarctica!" A live soundscape/sound art broadcast from Palmer Station. January 2, 2000 (Time: 2:05pm). Radio New Zealand. A soundscape report from Palmer Station. January 7, 2000 (Time: TBA). The City Radio, Wake Up and Smell the Moon, with host Ed and CG. A live telephone/Internet interview from Palmer Station. In addition, the Antarctica 2000 project was featured in a series of daily television news broadcasts in Santa Barbara on KEYT called, "Great News!", during the week before Christmas and a front page feature article was written for the Santa Rosa NY Times affiliate, The Press- Democrat on December 29, 1999. Other press included a feature for a Cologne, West Germany newspaper, in their Arts section. The plan for the rest of January is to continue making sound recordings in the Palmer Station area. GO-052-O 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. The Z-12 rover was used to survey the glacier terminus, the north side of which is now clearly defined. The south side is still snow covered, but an estimate of its position was made and will be confirmed when it becomes clear. An elevation profile of the lower section of the glacier (along the VLF cable run) was also performed to compare with the profile taken a month ago. To be ready for Y2K, GBSS v3.0 was installed on the base station computer, replacing GPS-Base as the data-logging software. At the same time, an updated position and antenna height were incorporated into the RInEx O-file header. 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. 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. Early in the month the GOES clock lost satellite lock and could not be coaxed to reacquire it. As a result, the HAARP narrowband system was unable to continue acquiring data. The GPS clock was opened and a jumper inside it was set to select the output of a 50% duty cycle 1 Hz signal for use in keeping the programmer clock synchronized, replacing the 1 Hz signal from the GOES clock. The make and model of the video card in the broadband PC were ascertained, and an appropriate driver was located on the web, downloaded, and installed. At the request of the grantees, the HAIL system was switched from the N/S loop to the E/W loop. Minor adjustments were made to two of the HAIL scale factors following this switch. 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. Following a scheduled change from calibration to sample counting, the "time to next transmission" jumped from the normal 0-180 seconds to over 8000 seconds. Aborting and restarting the count did not improve the situation, but after the long wait the normal interval returned. 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, Hugo Island, and RACER Rock using the TeraScan system. A visual inspection of the Bonaparte Point station revealed that the aerovane prop was missing. A new prop was installed, and then a new nose cone, but neither repair restored the broadcast of wind speed measurements from the station. 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. Specific passes that coincided with experiments were saved to tape for BO-279-O. A large scale "weather" image and an ice image were produced and emailed to the R/V LAURENCE M. GOULD. After much repetition and a little bit of binary file editing, a proper swcrpt "look-up table" was constructed, and a representative sampling of previously archived encrypted SeaWiFS passes was successfully decrypted. Discussions were held with the PI of the AARC tape archive, who is currently on station as a field team member for another project, regarding pass scheduling strategy. Discussions were also held with a member of BP-013-O regarding the use of the TeraScan to provide real-time position fixes of Argos/DCS transmitters that will be used to track giant petrels. The identification numbers of these transmitters were added to the relevant databases and processing routines. A Y2K patch cluster was applied to the Solaris operating system. 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 WWW avian deterrent unit failed this month and was replaced by a spare, and the Syquest data disk filled and was replaced with a blank disk.