antarctic -r OF THE UIUNITEO ! J! STATES MARCH—APRIL 1969 Volume IV, Number 2 001 0-11 T 4 r Contents nt r000 Field Research, October-November- I OF THE December 1968 ... ...... ...... ....... 39 Ia d UNITED STATES Logistic Support Activities, December 1, 1968—January 15, 1969 . 47 Vol. IV, No. 2 March-April 1969 Eltanin Cruise 36 ...................... 51 Prepared jointly by Second SCAR Biology Symposium, by Office of Antarctic Programs, National Science Foundation William S. Benninghofl and Herbert and She pier 52 U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica, Department of Defense ............................. The IS–AGE Symposium, by W. F. Weeks .. 53 Communications should be addressed to: Head, Polar Information Services Office of Antarctic Programs The U.S. Navy Contribution to National Science Foundation Antarctic Oceanography, by J Tierney 54 Washington, D.C. 20550 . Q. NOTES Record Helicopter Flight .............. 52 Flight to Vostok ...................... 60 Admiral Byrd Admitted to Aviation Hall of Fame ...................... 60 New Translations of Soviet Polar ., Literature .......................... 60 COVER PHOTO View of the Sentinel Range, Ellsworth Mountains. (Photo by U.S. Navy for U.S. Geological Survey) Antarctic Journal of the United States is published bimonth- ly by the National Science Foundation with the assistance of the Department of Defense. It is for sale by the Super- intendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. The subscription price is $2.50 per year in the U.S. and Canada, and $3.25 elsewhere. The price of single copies varies. Use of funds for printing this publication approved by the Director of the Bureau of the Budget (August 15, 1968) Greenwich Mean Time is used, except where otherwise indicated. ANTARCTIC ACTIVITIES 1968 -1969 United States Antarctic Research Program NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION SOUTHNATLANTIC / OCEAN - INDIAN OCEAN OASTAL STATIONS ON [ANTARCTIC ANAENOA PED BY ARGENTINA E WA CHILE AND THE UNITED z / QUEENLD MAUD SOUTH AMERICA ,/ AS 0 PAL El ST 101, GENER SELGRA NO C-) / / ANTARCTIC N STATION PENIN1JLA EDITH•.. RONNE / ICE SHELF THE RESEARCH SHIP HERO OPERATES IN ANTARCTIC PENINSULA WATERS FROM PALMER STATION. RA GE (ELLS WORTH I - LAND STATION 90 (USSR) .. 4P /120 150 / - / HL_4NI4RCTIC CIRCLE SOUTH PACIFIC / 7 NEW ZEALAND THE RESEARCH VESSEL I RESEARCH CRUISES IN -:,. OCEAN j E R ANTARCTIC WATERS. OPERATES 0 G EN C ON YEAR-ROUND BASIS. / c ANTARCIC STATION ON HAL ITT WMUROO PALMER PLATEAU POLE USNS FLIAIIN RV HERO _LAND) LAT LAT;., LAT. SOUTHERN ANTARCTIC 100 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 11 toCAFON LONG. LONIj 0-; LOOG. LONG INDIAN A ERS -_ I__ IMACQUARIE OCE STATUTE MILES ISLAND PALMER STA. SM2 _5, 55, 5,) 5) 1969 ESTASLISHED - LEGEND I-Al. ON INLAND ON GUA AL ON VOLCANIC ON ICEIEDROCK ON INLAND ON INLAND- U.S., U.S. Cooperative SSUt(U5) ICE M— ICE * AIR SEA AIR AIR- METIO OF AIR SEAAIR - U Foreign Stations SUH`Ly SEA A.,isI Photography for RMapping 5, LDINGS GsUISgisI Field P-tIRS MEAN ANNUAL -4.2 - IRANNFRAIUME AD (sap Csh5,I E(iIgisI Field Parties -U) . - J G—physicalI U Atss,phs,s Studies UUsdUUtRd at By,d, SO LJppss PIU5,,,, Pole, and McMurdo St5,tIUSS (STATUTE MILES) ESED Field Research October—November—December 1968 As reported in the last issue, early season activi- ties were hampered by bad weather, and several uni- versity groups were unable to get into the field to conduct their research projects. By November, how- ever, the weather had improved, and from then on, the research remained generally on schedule. McMurdo Sound Area Four biological projects got under way in early September when the researchers arrived on the win- ter fly-in (cf. Antarctic Journal, vol. III, no. 6, p. Section of McMurdo Biological Laboratory. 225). One research group, led by Dr. Robert Eisner of the University of California (San Diego), continued ned out by Messrs. Paul Dayton, Gordon Robilliard, for a second season the study of cardiovascular adap- and Charles Gait of the University of Washington. tation of seals to asphyxia. A portable laboratory was The principal investigator, Dr. Robert T. Paine, also installed at Turtle Rock, 6 miles from McMurdo worked at McMurdo later in the season. The cages Station, from where the scientists commuted daily by placed on the ocean bottom last season were found tracked vehicle. Data were collected on the uterine to be in excellent condition. Forty-one dives were blood flow in pregnant Weddells, maternal and fetal made in September and October to determine densi- heart rates during diving asphyxia, diving depth and ties of predatory species and their prey. By the end time in pregnant seals, and arterial distensibility in of November, over 20 percent of the starfish tagged newborn and mature Weddells. Pilot studies were last year had been recovered. It was determined that made of developmental characteristics of the diving the growth rates of most of the invertebrates in the response and temperature regulation in newborn McMurdo Sound area are extremely low. seals. In cooperation with Dr. Jay T. Shurley of the The fourth biological party that was able to start Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, an investi- its work in September was that of Dr. Robert Be- gation was initiated into the seal electroencephalo- noit, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, who is studying grain during asphyxia. the physiology of soil microorganisms. The microbi- Another scientist from the University of Califor- ology and chemistry of Lakes Bonney and Vanda were nia (San Diego), Dr. Gerald L. Kooyman, who also examined periodically during September, October, arrived on the winter flight with an assistant, con- and November. Using a SIPRE corer to drill a 10-cm ducted studies of the physiology and deep-diving be- hole in the lake ice, water samples were obtained at havior of seals and penguins. The heart rate and var- different depths by means of a ZoBell sampler. Some ious respiratory parameters were measured in un- ice cores were saved for later examination in the restrained Weddelis. Four scuba dives were made in United States. The chemical studies emphasized October at Turtle Rock and Cape Armitage to ob- changes in the oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles serve seals. Early in November, the diving station was of the two lakes. Culture incubation and pure culture moved to a new site, and the sub-ice observation studies were conducted at the McMurdo biological chamber was installed. Three scuba dives were made laboratory. The data indicate a clearcut relationship during November, two in the vicinity of seal rooker- among the physical, chemical, and biological param- ies and one at the site of the sub-ice observation eters of the lakes. chamber. Data were obtained on tidal volume, lung A six-man group from the University of Califor- volume, and oxygen consumption of an adult female nia (Davis) under the direction of Dr. Robert E. seal diving from an isolated hole in te ice. Two em- Feeney undertook protein studies on fish and pen- peror penguins collected at Cape Bird and released guins. By the end of October, 500 Trematoinus borch- at an isolated hole were observed to determine their grevinki had been caught and 50 Adélie penguin eggs diving capacity, and two trips were made to the Cape had been collected (at Cape Hallett) plus 3 frozen Crozier emperor rookery to observe penguin diving emperor penguin eggs (at Cape Crozier). Additional and feeding behavior. collections made in November for blood and muscle A second season of systematic scuba diving to ob- samples included specimens of T. borchgrevinki serve predation among benthic communities was car- (750), T. bernacchii (30), T. hansoni (1), and T. March-April 1969 39 centronotus (1). The carcasses of two Dissostichus mawsoni recovered from a seal yielded 10 ml of blood each. The collecting and biochemical studies con- tinued until mid-December, when the research party returned to the United States. Dr. Donald B. Siniff, University of Minnesota, and two assistants arrived in early November to study the population dynamics of seals. A portable laboratory was established at Hutton Cliffs, about 7.5 miles from Hut Point, to instrument seals with miniature radio transmitters. Blood samples were obtained from 1 crabeater and 44 Weddell seals at locations around Ross Island and in the vicinity of Hallett Station. Data were gathered on the activity patterns of fe- male Weddells with pups. Several transects were .\ ;i. i lo) /f) flown between Hutton Cliffs and Cape Royds to de- Mr. Schofield of OSU measuring radiation in Miers termine the optimum altitude for photographic seal Valley as part of a biological project directed by censuses; 2,000 feet was selected for the flights, to Dr. E. Rudolph. be conducted later in the season. L. Sla- Mr. Robert Wood, representing Dr. W. J . storage for later laboratory study. The first week of den of Johns Hopkins University, led the group study- field work was spent at the Kar Plateau, where plant ing the bird population at Cape Crozier. The re- growth was found to be relatively abundant, con- searchers were airlifted to their field camp in mid- sisting of a wide range of species, particularly lichens. October; from then until the end of November, they Micro- and macrometeorological data were collected recovered over 100 skuas of known age and observed in an effort to correlate species distribution with cli- about 40 which appeared to be establishing breeding matic factors. territory. By the end of November, more than two- A study of biological weathering was undertaken thirds of previously banded mates of known-age by Dr. Fiorenzo C. Ugolini, University of Washing- Adélies had returned to the rookery, and a somewhat ton, and an assistant. In late October, the team greater proportion of adult breeders from two con- set up camp in Taylor Valley in conjunction with a trol groups.