In the Water and Under the Ice

As part of our continuing program of under ice zooplankton community processes, we joined the SANTA CLAµS cruise for the period 12/9 to 12/16 to (1) assist Karl and colleagues with under ice sample collections (2) collect krill and (3) assist in the installation of the AWS on Hugo Island. We joined the Polar Duke at Palmer Station, our temporary summer home.

During the approximately one week period on board, we successfully installed the weather station, completed two dives in Crystal Sound (12/13, 12/14) and conducted four targeted krill tows that yielded numerous animals that were transported live to Palmer Station for various experiments. The dives, although limited in number due to inclement weather, provided Team S-046 with invaluable collections of ice algal dominated communities for a variety of measurements and for shipboard experimentation.