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We have been working within sight of Commonwealth Bay for the last 24 hrs and both last night and this morning had radio contact with the team working on Mawson's Hut. They used signalling mirrors to indicate their exact location on the coast and we were able to see their huts from our position about 10 Nm off. We are now heading around the coast to the east towards the Mertz Glacier. The sea-bed has been so rugged at one or two sites that we have not been able to safely deploy the trawl and have instead used the GA Video Camera to document the animals living there. The epibenthic sled is being modified slightly with the hope that we can use it to skim some animals from this boulder-strewn bottom. Everybody is now well into the routine of sampling around the clock and are working very efficiently. The glass sponges, so-called because they have skeletons (spicules) made of fine strands of silicate, looking exactly like glass-fibre, have been the outstanding feature of the last few sites. Regards, Martin and Sarah.
Map
A map showing Australia and Antarctica. The map shows the journey of one voyage that has occured in the season, with each route highlighted in a distinct colour.