Information
Comments
Our good weather run continues, with conditions so far more tropical than polar. We continue to make steady progress to the south. The fact that we are now in deeper water, where each station can take 3 to 4 hours to complete, means that our progress over the ground is a bit slower than when we are in shallower water. Most of the stations along the section are 30 nautical miles, or a two and a half hour steam, apart. In addition to the CTD, we have now deployed a Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometer, or FRRF. The FRRF can tell us both how many phytoplankton are in the water and how healthy and happy the cells are (or at least, whether they are getting enough light and nutrients). We also completed the first net tow overnight. This project is collecting small marine snails, called pteropods. Pteropods make their shells out calcium carbonate. As carbon dioxide dissolves in the sea, it makes the ocean more acidic and removes carbonate ions. These changes make it more difficult for organisms like pteropods to make their shells. This project is assessing the impact of ocean acidification on these organisms.
REGARDS: Steve, Fred and Penny
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.