For the past several weeks, Bigelow Laboratory Senior Research Scientist Ben Twining has participated in the IRON-MAN expedition in and around the southernmost continent. Today, Ben shares a few stunning highlights of the geography surrounding Antarctica.
ANTARCTIC DISPATCH 4: CRUISING THE SOUTHERN OCEAN
- From Rothera Research Station, the R/V Sir David Attenborough headed north toward Palmer Station. Along the way, we squeezed through the Gunnel Channel on the east side of Adelaide Island. The channel is just one kilometer wide and about 13 kilometers long. It gets its name from the impression that the vessel will scrape its “gunnels,” or gunwales, along the sides of the channel.
- The Cadman Glacier in Beascochea Bay was one of the most remarkable sampling stations I’ve ever experienced.
- We also passed through the Lemaire Channel, which is one of the most visited places in Antarctica. It’s easy to see why! The calm water looked like a mirror speckled with icebergs. From here, we headed offshore to sample at the shelf edge, then steered back toward the shore to continue along the Gerlache Strait.
- We also met up with the R/V Roger Revelle. Each ship hoisted its flags, and the Yanks aboard our British vessel gave a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. The ocean is too important — and frankly, too big — for any one nation alone to study it successfully. Collaboration is key to understanding the ocean and unlocking its potential. I’m grateful for this opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from other nations toward this unifying goal.
Glaciers are beautiful, but so are the tiny phytoplankton that Ben’s studying on the IRON-MAN expedition. In the next dispatch, you’ll get a closer look at several diatoms that are abundant in the Antarctic waters. Continue following along here at bigelow.org/currents!
Many thanks to Ben for sharing these great captures from the expedition!
