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We are now on a direct course to Davis. Conditions on board have been reasonably smooth in the last 24 hours although yesterday afternoon we were treated to some large waves crashing over the bow of the ship making great photo opportunities. We continue to make good progress. Today we passed through the Antarctic Convergence Zone where the sea transitions to a much lower temperature.
Over the last 36 hours we have deployed a Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) ably managed by Andrew, Clare and Tracey. The unit is towed 100 metres astern of the ship for approximately 450 nautical miles. There will be 3 deployments in total on the southbound voyage. The CPR program is a long term Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) project it provides sustained fundamental observations on variation in plankton biodiversity, distribution and abundance, parameters which are sensitive and vulnerable to climate change.
Last night we had the first of our presentations on board. Professor Rick kicked us off with a presentation called “Antarctic microbiology - Antarctic lakes - inconceivable discoveries". The talk gave a perspective on why microorganisms are important life-forms in Antarctic and global ecosystems. Rick described discoveries made from previous expeditions to lakes in the Vestfold Hills near Davis Station in 2006 and 2008, and reflected on the challenging logistics of those expeditions and how the insight and experience helps to guide the setup of the coming expedition which he is leading. It has set the standard for presentations to follow.
Cheers
Tony and Mike
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.