Cousteau Expeditions Welcome aboard! Join the Cousteau team on an expedition of amazing discoveries and exciting adventures! This expedition takes us to southern end of the planet, to Antarctica aboard the Polarstern, an icebreaker that the Alfred Wegener Institut in Germany uses for research. Our partner for this mission is the International Polar Foundation and its Educapoles Web site. Captain Cousteau first took his teams to Antarctica in 1973 aboard the ship Calypso. It was a mission of “firsts”—the first time divers went under icebergs to document the blue light and eerie cracking of the frozen undersea world. In 1990, Captain Cousteau returned to Antarctica with six children, each representing a different continent, to claim the land of ice for future generations. His campaign was successful: Antarctica was declared a natural reserve, dedicated to peace and science. In 2006, the Cousteau Society's representative aboard the icebreaker Polarstern visits the Antarctic Peninsula to begin studying a region that is exposed to scientists for the very first time. On the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, pieces of the Larsen ice shelf broke off and opened up a brand new territory to researchers. And in 2007, Cousteau polar scientist Tarik Chekchak set out to join the ship aboard the Grigoriy Mikheev. Tarik is keeping a shipboard journal during his trip and you can read his daily entries below. You can follow more activities by clicking on the logos above. Come along with Tarik Chekchak and Gauthier Chapelle to see what they find! Antarctica Farewell: January 28, 2007 Polarstern / CAML expedition: That's all folks! Yesterday was another day of cruising on an empty ocean. Even the birds didn't distract us from our last tasks aboard. Everyone is busy wrapping up the mission reports, exchanging and archiving data, including pictures and video footages. While the external temperature is going up, the hard discs are getting hot! This morning, we were all invited to the traditional farewell drink offered by the captain and the chief scientists in the famous blue lounge. A good opportunity to relect back on the expedition and to thank everyone for making it happen in the best possible conditions. During these two months, we have learned that: Antarctica is really the scene of international scientific cooperation. Shared passions can give birth to a tremendous amount of achievement, both in quantity and quality. The Antarctic ice is starting to change under the pressure of climate change, while still offering us breathtaking shapes, colors and light. The flora and fauna linked to this icy continent and the oceans that sourround it are reacting to change by moving or disappearing altogether. In 10 hours from now, the Internet connexion will be shut down and we will have reached South America. I hope that I was able to communicate to you these wonderful moments in a way that will make you want to discover our planet and respect it. See you soon... Gauthier Chapelle Tarik’s shipboard journal: January 3, 2007 Tierra del Fuego and the Beagle Channel, Patagonia Just the name of some cities is enough to make us think of adventure and a gateway to wilderness. Ushuaia is one of these. A pioneer town of 45,000 inhabitants situated at the “end of the world” in Patagonia, Ushuaia first appeared on nautical charts as a refuge for shipwrecked sailors. At 1700 hours, I embark on the Grigoriy Mikheev, a research ship of the Department of Hydrographic Studies of Ushuaia in Russia. The Mikheev will take me to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and then Antarctica, where we will join the international mission of the German oceanographic vessel Polarstern. A Force 7 wind (on the Beaufort scale) is blowing as we weigh anchor and it quickly turns into a Force 9 storm. The albatrosses seem thrilled by the weather and follow the ship out to sea. Our immediate destination is Patagonia and the Strait of Magellan. When Don Hernando Magallanes left Spain on September 20, 1519, aboard the Trinidad, he was looking for a passage between Asia and America. After a chaotic voyage marked by mutinies, Magellan was nearing a cape that he named “Horn” on October 20, 1520. The only signs of life he could see were the fires that the Yamana and Alakaluf Indians kept burning. Hence the name that Magellan gave the region—Tierra del Fuego or Land of Fire. We are navigating first through the calm waters of the Beagle Channel with a rising westerly wind. We pass Port Williams while we are eating. When we head southeast, we find ourselves in a rough sea, having passed Cape Horn on the starboard side, and we can feel it in our stomach. The Pacific swells combined with a strong westerly Force 9 wind toss us about. It looks like we will have a short, tumultuous night. Only the albatrosses are having fun; they are taking advantage of the gusts to glide elegantly, without moving a wing, over the furious waves. Position at 1600 hours: 54°45'2S 68°30'4W Weather: partly cloudy, light rain – Barometric pressure 984HP – Wind direction 290°; Force 8 (Beaufort scale) then a Force 9 storm during the night – Air temperature: +10°C; Water temperature: +10°C. Tarik’s shipboard journal: January 5, 2007 Falkland Islands: New Island and Carcass Island After two days of sailing on the Atlantic Ocean, we reached the Falkland Islands in the company of albatrosses and petrels. The wind has not dropped below Force 8 on the Beaufort scale. That is normal for the Roaring 40s here but we were still a bit relieved to see the Falklands appear on the horizon. We anchor in the morning just off New Island, one of the furthest west of the islands, and set off in a Zodiac to explore the western side of it. The cliffs rise higher than 160 meters and are home to a large nesting area for Black-browed albatrosses mixed in with Rockhopper penguins and Imperial shags. The wind is almost always strong enough for the albatrosses to take off easily despite a wingspan of more than 2.30 meters. The birds, all species mixed together, have chicks now. From time to time a skua or a caracaca terrorizes the less agile terrestrial birds to steal a scrap of food from them. We stay more than two hours enjoying the spectacle before returning to the ship. Our afternoon destination is Carcass Island where we discover a special, and well preserved, landscape of tussock (Poa Flabella). The tussock is a true subAntarctic oasis: many animals reproduce in it, feed on it or simply rest in it. Its photosynthesis is well adapted to the climate and is still productive at temperatures close to 0°C. Petrels build nests under the ground along with Magellan penguins that dig burrows. On the surface, geese, ducks, vultures and Rockhopper penguins use their feet to shelter their eggs from bad weather. Small birds like Troglodyte wrens and Tussockbirds nest in fissures at the base. At the summit and between the bottoms of leaves the largest birds come to nest: herons, marsh owls and even striated caracaras. Finally, there are elephant seals and sea lions that often seek refuge in this tangle of plants. In turn, this world of animals fertilizes plant growth with their droppings. Position at 0800 hours: 51°43'6S 61°17'2W Sky partly cloudy, barometric pressure 1008HP Wind direction 230°, Force 7 Beaufort Air temperature 10oC; water temperature 10°C Tarik’s shipboard journal: January 9, 2007 South Georgia: Elsehul and Right Whale Bay After three days of sailing rough seas, I am very excited to see the archipelago of South Georgia appear in the immensity of the Southern Ocean. During this crossing from the Falkland Islands, we were helped by the currents and winds from the northwest and were able to maintain a reasonable speed of 12 knots. Shortly before we reach South Georgia, the water temperature drops from 6° to 4°C, indicating that we have crossed a major ecological barrier that separates the cold water of Antarctica from the more moderate water to the north. This is the Antarctic Convergence, a buffer zone between the Southern Ocean and the warmer water masses of the southern Atlantic. Ecologically, climatically and geographically, we are firmly entering the region of Antarctic influence. The closer we draw to the coast, the more the water and air teem with life. On our port side, a group of sea lions is heading for the open sea, “porpoising” like dolphins. On the starboard side, Macaroni penguins and King penguins swim toward their rookeries. Different kinds of albatrosses and petrels are flying all around us. Then suddenly a minke whale announces its presence as it surfaces and exhales just in front of the ship’s stem. Welcome to South Georgia! Position at 0800 hours: 53°50'1S 39°13'0W A few high, wispy clouds – Barometric pressure 997HP – Little wind – Air temperature: +4°C – Water temperature: +4°C Tarik’s shipboard journal: January 11, 2007 South Georgia: Godthul and Jason Harbor Today starts out rainy and this morning we disembark onto the beach at Godthul. This site is characterized by a large population of Southern elephant seals and a colony of Gentoo penguins. The elephant seal is a remarkable diver despite its bulk: it can reach 6.50 meters and 4 tonnes! South Georgia has one of the largest colonies in the world—400,000 individuals out of a worldwide population of 530,000. Their diving capabilities are impressive, second only to those of the sperm whale. They can go as deep as 1,800 meters and tagging studies have shown that they spend more than 90 percent of their time under water, diving as long as two hours at a time! Reproduction for sea elephants takes place from September to November, and gives rise to epic combat between males for control over a harem of females that can comprise more than 50 individuals! Two rival bulls draw themselves up facing one another and lash out at the neck, trunk and muzzle, trying to plant their teeth in the adversary’s skin, all the while letting out harsh bellows. The bloodied loser must bow and leave the scene of the duel as quickly as possible. During these battles, the males are astonishingly quick and dangerous. They can crush anything in their way. Other than during the reproduction season, the elephant seal is a peaceful animal. Right now, the elephant seals, mostly females and young, are on the beaches to molt. Position at 0800 hours: 57°17'8S 56°17'6W Sky covered, with banks of fog and rain – Barometric pressure 987 HP – Light breeze – Air temperature: +6°C – Water temperature: +2°C Tarik’s shipboard journal: January 12, 2007 South Georgia: Prion Island and Salisbury Plain Our target this morning is Prion Island, located in the Bay of Isles at the far western end of South Georgia. It’s a site of considerable ecological importance because it’s a nesting site for the wandering albatross and the endemic South Georgia pitpit. We separate into four groups to go looking for the wandering albatrosses, to minimize any disturbance of the sensitive site. We begin the climb up the hill in meandering tussock and head toward the plateau at the top, negotiating our way past some curious sea lions. The wandering albatross nests on the highest part of the island, which is the most exposed to strong winds. The graceful, synchronized dance of two light mantled sooty albatrosses approaching the cliffs thrills me. The cliffs make ideal sites for these elegant birds and it’s not long before I spot a nest. Then, quickly many other wandering albatross nests become evident in the grass on the plateau. Having found the nests, we take up position at a respectful distance and spend more than two hours in the company of these magnificent seabirds. Observing the albatrosses on their nest is a privilege and a pure pleasure, especially given the extraordinary weather with which South Georgia graced us, and the glaciers of the Bay of Isles sparkling in the background. We found several nests occupied by adults and one or two by younger birds. All of them apparently have eggs at this point in the season. The male and the female share sitting on the eggs and caring for the chicks, and stay faithful to each other from one nesting season to the next. Position at 0800 hours: 54°02'8S 37°01'9W Blue sky – Barometric pressure 991 HP – Sustained wind – Air temperature: +6°C – Water temperature: +2°C Tarik’s shipboard journal: January 16, 2007 Antarctica - At sea, heading for Paulet Island Overnight, the captain of the ship had to adjust our heading because so many icebergs and big floes were impeding our progress. For obvious safety reasons, we also had to slow down. That tells you that Captain Alexander, and his second in command Olegont spent a lot of time on the bridge last night! This morning we can see large tabular icebergs filing past on the starboard and port sides. They quite definitely come from Larsen B. In the evening, the floating ice is becoming more and more solid but it still hasn’t been a serious obstacle to our passage. Still, we’ve had to maneuver around these ice barriers fairly frequently. Position at 0800 hours: 62°04'6S 50°41'5O - High clouds – Barometric pressure 969 HP – Light breeze, direction 210° - Air temperature -1°C – Water temperature: +1°C Tarik’s shipboard journal: January 17, 2007 Antarctica - Paulet Island, Weddell Sea - Antarctic Sound This morning we note with satisfaction that the crew has been efficient overnight. Despite the difficulties posed by ice floes and icebergs, we are presently in the Weddell Sea off Paulet Island. In the early afternoon, we pass Dundee Island. That’s where, in December 1972, Calypso met the resupply ship Bahia Aguirre to retrieve the Diving Saucer SP 350 and its specialist Gaston Roux. The Saucer would be used to carry out the fascinating dives into a caldera on the volcanic Deception Island. This place is full of Cousteau history. Here at Esperanza Bay, Calypso anchored on February 8, 1973, to ride out a violent blizzard that nearly cost her life and that of the crew. That day, the wind rose with a terrifying force. Although she was anchored, she had to keep her engines running to hold position against the wind and to avoid running into the huge ice floes that were streaking past the hull. In spite of this, one of the ice masses struck Calypso on the stern, ripping some planks—fortunately above the waterline—and damaging the port propeller. On February 10, it snowed even more heavily and the gale winds reached more than 160 km/h covering the ship with a shell of ice that weighed her down to the point of endangering her stability. Running on a single twisted propeller and entirely dependent on radar to guide her in zero visibility, Calypso managed to maneuver and avoid the worst. Finally on February 11, the wind fell. The ship dropped anchor and the crew set about clearing the ship of her icy carapace. As much as possible, the damage done by the storm was repaired—while the film team shot footage of penguins swimming under the ice. Position at 0800 hours: 63°34'8S 55°44'8 O Low clouds and snow – Barometric pressure 970 HP – Gusty wind, direction 210° - Air temperature -0°C – Water temperature +0°C Tarik’s shipboard journal: January 18, 2007 Deception Island: Whalers Bay It’s surprising to realize how the weather in Antarctica can go from one extreme to the other! After the storm at Paulet Island, optimism and enthusiasm reign today at Deception Island! Under a clear sky of limpid purity, the Mikheev enters the caldera of this active volcano. The ship navigates broadside through a narrow pass called Neptune’s Bellows because the wind sometimes blows through it violently. The Bellows embrace a formidable obstacle to navigation: Ravn Rock, a reef in the middle of the channel that makes passage risky, as if it were a shipwreck marker. It’s said that two ships cannot pass through Neptune’s Bellows at the same time. Whalers Bay where we moor today was named by explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot for the many whalers there at the beginning of the 20th century. The whaling station was built by the Norwegians in 1910 and operated until 1931. You can still see the immense trying pots and storage tanks for oil and gas, all covered with rust. Deception is also the largest volcano, the newest and the most active one in the South Shetlands. It has a long history of eruptions: 1800, 1812, 1842, 1871, 1912, 1956, 1967, 1969. The most recent was in 1970. Position at 0800 hours: 56°37'8S 65°55'8O Clear sky, no wind – Barometric pressure 989 HP - Air temperature: +6°C – Water temperature: +9°C Tarik’s shipboard journal: January 19, 2007 Deception Island: following Calypso’s path Three years after the volcano’s last eruption, on December 19, 1973, the Cousteau team landed at Deception Island for the first time. The cameramen got to work and found many subjects to film: seals on the beaches, penguin rookeries and the strange lunar mineral universe of the island partly covered by a glacier. The caldera, an immense volcanic hole that the sea has invaded, is one of the hot water areas that are steaming along the black beaches. Five wonderful descents in the submersible SP350 explore the caldera: a first in the Antarctic! The self-contained divers of the Cousteau team, wearing completely watertight suits, realize with satisfaction that they can stay 30 to 40 minutes in the icy water without suffering too much. On December 28, at 11:30 AM, Michel Laval, Calypso’s second in command, is tragically struck by a propeller of the helicopter that is ferrying between Calypso and the island. He is killed immediately. Captain Cousteau decides to escort the body of his crewman personally, first to Ushuaia, then on to France. As I step on the black sand of the beach today, 34 years later, on one of those beautiful days that Antarctica sometimes gives us my first thoughts unquestionably turn to Michel Laval. Position at 0800: 56°37'8S 65°55'8O Clear sky, no wind – Barometric pressure 989 HP - Air temperature: +6°C – Water temperature: +9°C Daily Log: December 29, 2006 The night shift by Gauthier Chapelle 24 “ordinary” hours near Elephant Island: 5 fisheries bottom trawls, the first one in the water at 6:30 am, and the last one out more or less 12 hours later. Then, the night shift can begin. Every other night is mainly allocated for deploying fish and crustacean traps, as well as to the “mud scientists” working on the chemistry and biology of the sediments sampled with a variety of cores. This evening however, it is the turn of all those passionate about bottom invertebrates. The Rauschert dredge, with its fine mesh size, is welcomed by researchers seeking fragile or small animals. It is for example the case of Henri Robert and Cédric d’Udekem from Belgium, looking for delicate amphipod crustaceans. But the most powerful sampling gear remains the Agassiz trawl, which usually yields sponges, ascidians and all their associated fauna. When the bottoms are soft sediments, all these animals come back embedded in mud, and water hoses and sieves are then necessary to extract specimens. This evening, the second Agassiz, back on deck around 11:30 pm, scoured another type of community, mainly made of branched bryozoans. The accompanying fauna is so particular that we sorted the whole trawl with special care until 1 o’clock in the morning. With snow falling without interruption on the working deck lit by spot lights, an inspiring atmosphere! Daily Log: December 27, 2006 A big fish catch by Gauthier Chapelle Polarstern’s biggest fish catch in 24 years of research in Antarctic waters! A new hope for commercial fisheries? Quite the opposite, a good catch doesn’t necessarily mean that depleted stocks have recovered. Five tons of marbled Antarctic cod (Notothenia rossii), now that was surely a big surprise to scientists and crew alike considering that previous and subsequent hauls barely ever reaped such plentiful harvests. Their shimmering silver and dark blue bodies, which can grow up to 70cm, were piled on the aft deck of Polarstern. In combination with previous stock assessments, fisheries biologists onboard interpreted the catch as a sampling of a discrete, small-scale aggregation of this fish species. There are two hypotheses to explain the observed dense aggregation: 1. krill, the main prey of marbled Antarctic cod, aggregate to form a band of dense shoals in close vicinity to its preferred habitat; 2. certain seafloor topographies, such as canyons or cliffs may be conducive to its aggregation. The tendency to shoal made them an easy target for commercial fisheries in the past. After depletion of marbled Antarctic cod stocks the "Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources" (CCAMLR) decided to ban fishing activities. Resuming commercial fisheries could easily lead to stocks being overfished. Germany, represented by the Federal Research Centre for Fisheries, is constantly providing results to the responsible CCAMLR working group to prevent overexploitation of Antarctica’s fish stocks. More fisheries will happen in the upcoming days, telling us more about the fish stocks in the region and therefore bringing more elements to the CCAMLR researches.Follow the latest results and the videos taken onboard on the Google webpage dedicated to the adventure. www.cousteau.org/caml.html Weekly report December 19,2006 by Julian Gutt, Expedition Leader Since the beginning of last week, the course is set to the Antarctic Peninsula. But first we had to bypass a large area of sea ice north of Atka Bay by heading east. On Wednesday, ice conditions allowed for the direct course west along the 64th latitude. Due to favourite weather conditions we are making good progress. As this part of the expedition is passing by without particular events, Karl-Herman Kock from Hamburg is using the opportunity to introduce our second scientific program. Germany is a member of the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) since 1982. Its Commission is responsible for the conservation and rational use of all marine resources with the exception of cetaceans. Germany focuses its CCAMLR-related research on the state of fish and krill stocks in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean. This research is conducted by the Sea Fisheries Institute of the Federal Research Centre for Fisheries in Hamburg in cooperation with foreign institutions, such as the Southwest Fisheries Science Centre of the National Marine Fisheries Service in La Jolla, CA, on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Nutrition, Agriculture and Consumer’s Protection (BMELV). The bottom fish survey conducted in the course of ANT XXIII/8 is the 7th survey in a row in the southern Scotia Arc region. Polarstern will carry out 75 – 80 hauls of 30 minute duration based on a stratified random survey design. The main work on board is focused on lengths measurements, weight and sex determination, stomach analyses and the removal of tiny ear bones. The total of the scientific data will provide a comprehensive view of the state of the fish populations after the stop of commercial fishing in 1990. Results of the survey will be presented at the next annual meeting of CCAMLR in Hobart, Australia, in October 2007. All onboard are well. The atmosphere is very good, in particular since all novices had the pleasure to enjoy the baptism after crossing the southern Polar Circle. Christmas is still far ahead in our minds, the reason being that the scientific work will start next week. As I am not going to report of the life on Polarstern over the Christmas period before the next year, I would like to use the opportunity to wish all of you who follow the happenings of this expedition a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I would like to express my deepest respect to those at home and onboard that will spend the Christmas holidays apart from their family. On behalf of all scientists I would like to send greetings from the central Weddell Sea. Live from Antarctica Weekly report: onboard the Polarstern from December 5 to December 11, 2006 The last week onboard Polarstern was predominantly devoted to logistics. We travelled a distance of about 600 km, often with dense ice coverage being left behind as if we were going through butter. But shortly before we reached the Antarctic continent sea ice became much thicker. Fortunately, luck was on our side. Virtually on time, we reached the area in front of Atka Bay where the German Neumayer station is located. The station and all its inhabitants depend on the freight provided by the Polarstern. There, things became a little bit more difficult. Wide areas of the bay, including the usual "ice port" right next to the shelf edge and its alternative further North were covered by solid sea ice. But there was another, third possibility. The 30 meter high ice shelf edge was a challenging subject for hobby photographers and professionals. Helicopters brought up hoses to refill eight 20,000-liter tanks with diesel fuel, which were sitting on sledges ready for later transportation to the station by Caterpillars. By trial and error we found out that the Polarstern’s cranes were not long enough to unload the cargo onto the ice shelf. Our scientific team from Spain seized the opportunity of a small patch of open water to catch live animals for observation in aquaria. Pablo Lopez, Elisabeth Sañe and Laura Alonso will investigate sessile cnidarians living on the seafloor. The main objective is to find out whether these animals are exclusively feeding on fresh algae from the summer bloom or if they also utilize other food sources under conditions of extended periods of sea ice cover. These findings will be a substantial contribution to answer much broader questions such as how did communities adapt to the particular conditions beneath the Larsen ice shelves and how do they differ from "normal" areas. It was no surprise to hold hands that the catch of the Agassiz trawl was bountiful. But for novices new to such shelf ecosystems it was overwhelming, especially for Dorte Janussen, our sponge expert. In this area, sponges are the most distinct group of animals that live on the seafloor. Meanwhile, the ice situation deteriorated due to the compacting of sea ice floes by local currents. The captain and his crew, supported by reconnaissance flights with helicopters, eventually found a place to unload the cargo on the solid sea ice. About half a dozen Caterpillars from the Neumayer Station picked up the load from the ice and transported it to its final destination 20 km away. All logistical work made excellent progress due to the eagerness of all participants and very good weather conditions. With great relief we are able to say: “It’s done!” Finally, after minor delays with our logistical commitments, we are now steaming towards the Antarctic Peninsula, our proposed area of study. The atmosphere onboard the Polarstern is exceptionally good. All participants not only had the chance to have a walk on the sea ice and watch Emperor penguins curiously passing by, but also had the opportunity to visit the Neumayer Station. On a sun-swept day with blue skies this was truly an exceptional experience. Julian Gutt – Alfred Wegener Institut Expedition Leader For further information and updates, visit the EducaPoles website.