Information
Comments
We are currently hove to as we ride out the weather. New and interesting animals continue to appear in our trawl samples. So far we have collected about 10 species of the worm-like, shell-less molluscs, (Aplacophora) and yesterday we found a parasitic mollusc (family Eulimidae) on a sea-cucumber (holothurian). Some of the Aplacophora and the Eulimid may well be new records for Antarctica, although without reference to the scientific literature we are not yet able to make that claim with confidence. Among the highlights of the video captured by the trawl-mounted camera is the footage of a surprised-looking pelagic octopus sitting on the sea-bed in the split second before it was scooped up by the trawl. New Year on the ship is of course a special occasion and last night the day shift celebrated it on Tasmanian/ship's time with a masked ball. Now the night shift are celebrating the GMT New Year. The creativity of those on board came to the fore in the lead up to the New Year as many clever costumes were improvised from the limited materials at hand. 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.