We’re on our way home. A week ago the Gould arrived at Palmer Station and we were reunited with Dave, Ari and the rest of the Palmer LTER crew. We spent a frenzied day packing and tryingContinue reading
Author: Andy Read
Dr. Read's is Rachel Carson Associate Professor of Marine Conservation Biology at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, NC. His research interests are in the conservation biology of long-lived marine vertebrates, particularly marine mammals, seabirds and sea turtles.
A Little More Antarctic Wildlife
One of the best things about working down here in the Antarctic is the abundance and approachability of wildlife. This remains one of the few parts of our little planet in which humans areContinue reading
Finally Some Penguins!
If you have been following the blog you have probably been wondering when I was going to get around to writing about those most charismatic of Antarctic megafauna – the penguins. Well, todayContinue reading
Meanwhile, on the L.M. Gould
While we have been sampling whales and mapping krill around Palmer Station, Ari and Dave have been aboard the Antarctic Research Vessel L.M. Gould, doing much the same thing, except over a huge area.Continue reading
Hermit Island
Over the last three weeks Zach and I have spent almost all of our time at sea level, chasing whales in our Zodiac. So we were excited to get a very different perspective today,Continue reading
Life in a Zodiac
Zach and I spend most of our working days here at Palmer Station bobbing around whales in our trusty Zodiac. Most of the time it is a comfortable office, with space for all ofContinue reading
Big Whale – Tiny Sample
We can learn a huge amount about the whales we study from minute samples of skin and superficial blubber. We use a specially designed remote biopsy dart system to obtain a tiny sample fromContinue reading
The Antarctic is a Hungry Place
Whales, whales, whales and more whales. It’s been crazy here at Palmer Station, with a continuous flow of humpback whales through our little study area. Every day we see and sample a bunch ofContinue reading
Whale Tails
Zach and I have been very busy in our first few days at Palmer Station. There have been a LOT of whales around, the days are long (boating hours are from 8:00 AM until 10:00Continue reading
Leopard Seals and Echosounders
Our Antarctic research project is split into two field teams. Dave and Ari are aboard the 230-foot Antarctic Research Vessel Laurence M. Gould, which is conducting surveys and experiments at a large-scale along theContinue reading