New Paper: Depth drives the distribution of microbial ecological functions in the coastal western Antarctic Peninsula

Congrats to Avishek Dutta and the team for their recent paper in Frontiers in Microbiology. Here's the abstract... The Antarctic marine environment is a dynamic ecosystem where microorganisms play an important role in key biogeochemical…
Attendees at the 2023 PAL Science Workshop

2023 PAL-LTER, SWARM, and Friends Workshop

Four years is a long time to wait, but last week, the waiting was over, as we held the first in-person PAL-LTER and Friends Science Workshop since 2019. On Tuesday, the PI team met to discuss the latest field season and to prepare…
An Adelie penguin on the cover of the journal Ecosphere.

An Adélie Penguin on the cover of Ecosphere

Kudos to PAL researcher Darren Roberts, whose photo of an Adélie Penguin was featured on the March 2023 issue of Ecosphere, the journal of the Ecological Society of America. The photo was chosen to feature a recent paper, Long-term…

Record Low Antarctic Sea Ice Extent in 2023

Last month, the amount of sea ice around Antarctic broke a new record low, according to the National Snow & Ice Data Center. This year's minimum extent is the lowest recorded since 1979, and it broke the previous record low set just last…
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2023 Palmer School Outreach Programs Underway

It's hard to believe the 2023 PAL field season is halfway over, and the main research cruise is already back at port. But that doesn't mean our outreach work is done. Far from it, we're just getting started! The goal of the PAL outreach…
Overview of fish and top predator presence and activity patterns in the Palmer Station region. Top predator occupancy patterns are estimated from visual sightings, Palmer Station monthly reports, and literature reviews (caveats are discussed in the text).
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New Paper: Long-term patterns in ecosystem phenology near Palmer Station

Congratulations to Megan Cimino and many other members of the PAL team who just had a new paper published in Ecosphere. Here's a quick snippet... We show that sea ice retreat and increasing photoperiod in the spring trigger a sequence…
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2023 Virtual Classroom Programs

Click to download the program flyer and VTC schedule. Educators: Sign-up now to join Polar Scientists on a research expedition to Antarctica We are currently recruiting 12-18 educators and their students (grades 5-9) to join the…

The Coolest Office in the World

This year, the ICB blog and BIMS, Black in Marine Science, has been collaborating to highlight scientists from the BIMS organization. We hope this collaboration will further foster connecting a phenomenal network of colleagues in marine…

Scott Doney appointed to WHOTSP

Congratulations to Scott Doney, PAL scientist and co-PI, on his recent appointment to the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy! We look forward to seeing him help advance ocean climate science & policy. htt…

A Captain’s Journey to the Antarctic

In the seas of Antarctica, nothing is assured. The weather is fickle, changing from sunny skies to whiteouts in the blink of an eye. Ice is not just ice—it forms in bergs, floes, pancakes, and sheets, each one distinct from the other. For…
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Antarctic research links warming to fish decline

A long-term study in the Southern Ocean reveals a correlation among warming waters, decreased sea ice and reduced abundance of Antarctic silverfish. These small fish are important prey for penguins, seals and other marine life. The study…

Antarctic Long-Term Ecological Research site turns 30

The Long-Term Ecological Research site at Palmer Station, Antarctica, celebrates its 30th field season this year. Thanks to this long-running research program, scientists have consistently tracked environmental changes taking place along the…