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Antarc D1rlr1ei antarctic I] OFTHE hUN lIED D1rLr1Ei U STATES September 1977 National Science Foundation Volume X11—Number 3 1977-1978 U.S. Antarctic Program under way Early this month, U.S. Navy Antarctic Development Squadron Six (VXE-6) completed a series of turnaround "winfly" (winter fly- I 11_11a1ia" in) LC-130 flights to McMurdo Station from Christchurch, New Zealand. Science and support personnel, plus cargo of various kinds (mail, fresh foods, etc.), were delivered for a traditional head start on the 1977-1978 U.S. Antarctic Program field season. Meanwhile, the bulk of 1977-1978 investigators and some sup- port personnel gathered at Reston, Virginia, 18-21 September for the annual U.S. Antarctic Program Orientation Conference. Ses- sions included training in various aspects of coldweather work and survival, information on how to This issue introduces a new prepare shipments of science cargo U.S. coast Guard format for Antarctic Journal of and specimens, and general fami- the United States that we hope liarization with the research being will better respond to readers conducted by other disciplines in information needs regarding the Antarctica. U.S. Antarctic Program. Quart- USCGC Polar Star, one of two most Full-scale 1977-1978 U.S. opera- powerful icebreakers ever built by the erly issues in March, June, Sep- tions in Antarctica begin at Mc- United States, is scheduled to partici- tember, and December will con- Murdo in early October, followed pate in the 1977-1978 U.S. Antarctic tain the kinds of information by the seasons first flights to Program. Commissioned in January presented in the previous for- Amundsen-Scott South Pole and it 1976, the "Polar class" icebreaker will mats and notes" section. Siple stations by early November. break the channel through McMurdo Included will be items on activi- R/V Hero is expected to dock at Sounds annual ice to McMurdo Station ties and events in the field and Palmer Station, on Anvers Island in early January 1978 after completing related developments elsewhere, off the Antarctic Peninsula, for the ice trials farther out in the Ross Sea announcements of antarctic-sci- pack ice. Also participating in this sea- first time this season in early De- sons field program are two older Coast ence-related conferences, a list of cember. Guard icebreakers, Glacier and Burton recent antarctic grants and con- Over 325 U.S.-sponsored investi- Island. Polar Star and a sister ship, tracts awarded by the National gators will fan out over the antarc- USCGC Polar Sea (commissioned in Science Foundation, and the tic continent and surrounding seas January 1977), measure 122 meters monthly antarctic climate sum- this season to conduct some 90 and can crack through ice over 6 met- mary. A substantially larger fifth projects in biology, biomedicine, ers thick. Both of the new icebreakers issue, which will appear for the have controllable pitch propellers earth sciences, glaciology, meterolo- first time next month, will an- gy, upper-atmosphere physics, and nearly 5 meters in diameter and can nually review preliminary re- accommodate up to 163 persons, in- oceanography. Highlights include cluding space for at least 10 scientists suits—project-by-project--of the an extensive surface reconnaissance and technicians. Polar Star is shown entire previous years U.S. na- of Marie Byrd Lands Bakutis and here near Seattle, Washington, in late tional program in Antarctica. Hobbs coastal areas, a renewed 1975. effort to drill through the floating Ross Ice Shelf to study the sub-shelf The cargo arrived at McMurdo by and the factors that cause them to environment—including any life ship last season. swarm. (S-008) that may be discovered there—for Science projects planned for this the first time, and several basic 23rd consecutive year of U.S. activi- Ecological and behavioral adapta- studies of Antarcticas living and ty in Antarctica are summarized tions to antarctic environments. David mineral resources. below and on the following pages. F. Parmelee, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Our main study areas near In addition to direct support of Palmer Station are proving to be unu- these science projects, which uses sually well suited to year-round investi- most of the time and assets availa- gations of certain charadriiform birds ble to U.S. Antarctic Program logis- (skuas, gulls, terns, and sheathbills) by tics support units, nearly 350,000 Planned field research ecological and ethological methods. kilograms of construction cargo will projects, 1977-1978 These studies will continue throughout be airlifted from McMurdo to Siple 1977-1978 using banding, color-coding, Station this austral summer in pre- and radio telemetry (including radar) paration for the construction this techniques as well as visual and photo- graphic observations at Palmer Station, season and next of a replacement Antarctic Peninsula along other areas of the Antarctic Pen- for the present station, now com- insula, among the South Shetland Is- pletely buried under crushing snow. Biota of antarctic pack ice. Donald B. lands, and in southern South America. Siniff, University of Minnesota, Minnea- (S-012) polis. Because so few ships have pene- trated antarctic pack ice in the austral spring, little is known about the repro- Behavioral and ecological adapta- ductive biogy, the social structure, and tions of pygoscelid penguins. D. Mull- the breeding behavior of antarctic pelag- er-Schwarze, State University of New ic seals. Accordingly, we will return to York, Syracuse. We will travel to King George Island (62°OOS. 580 15W.) this NRCTIC the pack ice of Gerlache Strait in Octo- ber and November 1977 aboard the austral summer to continue studies of U.S. Antarctic Programs R/V Hero. sympatric Adlie, chinstrap, and gentoo Crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinopha- penguins. Breeding success and food gus) will be the major object of our and habitat utilization will be analyzed studies, although leopard seals (Hydrur- for the three species with emphasis on ga leptonyx) will also be observed. Rela- the relationship between utilization of tionships between these two species will these resources and the penguins chick- be examined, and radio telemetry will rearing abilities. Predation on the three be used so that weights, measures, and species of penguins will also be moni- Editor: Lloyd G. Blanchard behavioral observations may be made of tored. During the 1978 austral winter, the same individuals. We will also at- one member of our party will winter at Antarctic Journal of the United Polands new Arctowski Station (62° 10S. States, established in 1966, reports tempt to relocate animals tagged last year. The major emphasis will be to col- 58°28W.) to extend our observations on U.S. activities in Antarctica and year-round. Our research aims at un- related activities elsewhere, and on lect data on: (1) reproductive and social behavior, (2) activity patterns and move- derstanding the role of penguins in the trends in the U.S. Antarctic Pro- marine antarctic ecosystem. (S-020) gram. It is published quarterly ments, and (3) trophic interactions and (March, June, September, and De- such population characteristics as sex cember), with a fifth annual review and age structure, distribution patterns, Effect of ice facies on small-scale issue in October, by the Division of and density. (S-003) oceanographic phenomena. Robert J. Polar Programs, National Science Barsdate and Vera Alexander, Universi- Foundation, Washington, D.C. Biological investigations of antarctic ty of Alaska, Fairbanks. At Palmer Sta- tion and aboard R/V Hero this austral 20550. Telephone: 202/632-4076. krill (Euphausia superba). M. A. Mc- Whinnie, De Paul University. This aus- summer we will continue studies of the tral summer we will obtain population nearshore oceanographic environment Subscription rates are $7.50 per around Anvers Island.Emphasis will be five issues, domestic, and $9.50 per data on the dominant species of antarc- tic krill, Euphausia superba. While these on the ice/water interface because such five issues, foreign; single copies areas are believed to enhance biological vary in price. Address changes and euphausiids have been extensively stud- ied in the past, there are important dis- productivity at several levels. Also, ant- subscription matters should be sent arctic nearshore areas are highly pro- to the Superintendent of Docu- crepancies concerning their life span and growth rates. It is possible that ductive in relation to contiguous oceanic ments, U.S. Government Printing systems. Data will include primary pro- Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. changes in population structure (rate of advance and life span) could have fol- ductivity and plankton biomass, nutrient lowed the decrease in whale populations chemistry, carbon-dioxide system chem- The director of the National Sci- and/or that regional differences in pri- istry, salinity, temperature, oxygen, and ence Foundation has determined mary productivity and thermal regime light penetration. (S-022) that the publication of this periodi- could result in different longevity and cal is necessary in the transaction growth-rate characteristics. Growth rates Physiological and biochemical bases of the public business required by at different feeding levels will also be of freezing tolerance in antarctic ter- law of this agency. Use of funds for studied. Therefore, krill catches will be restrial arthropods. John G. Baust, printing this periodical has been taken from R/V Hero in the Bransfield University of Houston. Attempts to approved by the director of the Strait, among the Palmer and Bisco understand the nature of cellular re- Office of Management and Budget archipelagos, and in the Scotia Sea. We sponses to freezing have been ap- through 30 September 1979. also plan to investigate krill biometrics proached from several directions utiliz- ANTARCTIC JOURNAL ing various life forms. Of those animals able to naturally survive extreme tem- perature variations and thus to tolerate freezing, terrestrial arthropods offer excellent systems for analysis since in- sects represent the highest phylogenetic group able to exist for prolonged pe- riods in the frozen state.
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