Antarctica 2006

Winding Up to Wind Down!

 

Our season is quickly drawing to a close. We are trying to finish up the last few dives within the next two days. During my dive today, I retrieved the fluorometer so the data it collected could be downloaded. The fluorometer is an instrument that measures how much energy is reflected from the surface. When the organisms in the mat are active, they will absorb much of the energy coming into the mat, so little fluorescence will be detected. When there is less activity within the mat, more is reflected. So deploying the fluorometer allows us to cross check data with other measurements and to get a fuller picture of what is going on within and around the mat. I also retrieved the LiCor so its data could also be downloaded. Then I collected a water sample and a core sample in front of Hal. Ian then redeployed the LiCor to Hal's final destination and moved Hal to the last spot for the season. He also collected a core and surface mat sample from two deeper water stations. This afternoon, Kay dove and adjusted Hal for his final measuring "blitz" and he collected a core and surface mat sample from two shallow water locations.

We are working hard to coordinate all the final dives. We are scheduled to leave Lake Fryxell on Tuesday, so the season is winding down quickly. There is still a fair amount to be done, so we are winding up in order to wind down!

(The repairs to my suit worked well, so I was dry again today!)     

	Shallow water mat. The mat here is very thin, it seems newer than the mat in deeper water. There are large "pinnacle like" structures scattered throughout the area.
Notice how loose the surface mat is in the shallow water.
	This is the type of mat that is just below the dive hole. You can see that the mat appears much more established at this depth. There are smaller pinnacles throughout the region and larger pinnacles, such as this one, scattered amongst the smaller ones.
This is mat from the mid section of our transect line. I mentioned previously that one possibility for the "holes" in this mat is to maximize oxygen intake to the mat.
	This is mat at the deeper depths. The pinnacles have become much smaller and fewer in number. The mat really starts to flatten out at about 32 feet.

•Ms. Ellwood - rellwood@sau50.k12.nh.us
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