A team of University of Rhode island Graduate School of Oceanography researchers returned to Punta Arenas, Chile, on June 12 after a very successful month-long cruise to Antarctica on the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer. The main goal of the expedition was to investigate whether krill, Euphausia superba, a keystone species in the Antarctic ecosystem, were feeding on the seafloor.
The team used a variety of scientific equipment, including acoustics, nets, cameras, sediment corers, in-situ sensors and bottle samplers. These instruments let them understand the environment the krill inhabit, assess krill population densities, observe krill behavior in the ocean, and collect samples of krill at various depths in the water. Back in Rhode Island the researchers will use these krill samples to examine stomach contents to learn what and how much the krill eat.
The studies took place in fiords on the west side of the West Antarctic Peninsula: Wilhelmina Bay, Andvord Bay, and Flandres Bay. Surveys revealed waters teeming with krill – amounting to a total weight equivalent of one million elephants in Wilhelmina Bay alone.
One important question the researchers are hoping to answer is whether krill feed on the seafloor when there is little other food available. Chief scientist Ted Durbin reports that initial results appear to indicate this is the case, though analysis of samples and data collected during the cruise is ongoing.
The research team maintained blog about the trip that can be viewed at http://krillcruise.wordpress.com.
The expedition was funded by the National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs.
Much of the STRES team pictured on the bow of the R/V N.B. Palmer:
From Left: Vivian Lutz (Professor of Oceanography from Argentina), Mackenzie Haberman (marine tech, R/V NB Palmer), Alison Cleary (GSO grad student), Ted Durbin (GSO faculty and Chief Scientist), Michelle Dennis (URI biology student), Iain McCoy (URI biology student) Rachel Greene (wearing glasses, UMASS Boston student), Tommy Heath (wearing hat, UMASS Boston student) David Casagrande (URI Ocean Engineering grad student), Kerry Whittaker (GSO grad student) Michael Orchard (GSO post-doctoral) Susanne Menden-Deuer (GSO faculty) Chris Roman (GSO faculty) Rich Bell (NOAA, GSO alumnus) Ulises Hoyes (Argentine Navy) Bethany Jenkins (URI Faculty) Bonnie Blalock (UMASS Boston grad student) Rebecca Robinson (wearing hat, GSO faculty) Lindsey Eckern (marine tech, R/V NB Palmer), Jeremy Lucke (marine tech, R/V NB Palmer) Gabby Inglis (URI Ocean Engineering grad student) Maria Casas (GSO), Julian Race (IT, R/V NB Palmer). Not pictured: Mary Kane (GSO grad student), Francoise Morison (GSO grad student), Meng Zhou (UMASS Boston faculty), Yiwu Zhu (UMASS Boston faculty), Yu Zhang (China).