The Australian Antarctic Division celebrated National Science Week in August with displays of various Antarctic research activities at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Live displays of the two most important organisms in the food chain — phytoplankton and krill — were a hit with school students and the public.
The Division’s research diving team showed off the latest in polar dive-wear and equipment, and the research they support. Climate scientists produced a genuine 500-year old ice core to illustrate how ice cores contribute to our understanding of past climate and detect and monitor changes in today’s climate. Biologist, Dr Graham Hosie, also gave a demonstration of the ancient Japanese art of fish printing or ‘Gyotaku’ — a technique he learnt from internationally acclaimed Japanese artist, Boshu Nagase, who has donated a number of prints to the Antarctic Division.