AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ISSUE 29 2015 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ISSUE 29 2015

The Australian Antarctic Division, a Division of the Department of the Environment, leads Australia’s Antarctic program and seeks to advance Australia’s Antarctic interests in pursuit of its vision of having ‘Antarctica valued, protected and understood’. It does this by managing Australian government activity in Antarctica, providing transport and logistic support to Australia’s Antarctic research program, maintaining four permanent Australian research stations, and conducting scientific research SCIENCE programs both on land and in the Southern Ocean. 12 Measuring algae in the fast ice Australia’s Antarctic national interests are to: • Preserve our sovereignty over the Australian Antarctic ICEBREAKER HISTORY Territory, including our sovereign rights over the 16 New icebreaker plans unveiled 24 Two-wheeled Antarctic adventures adjacent offshore areas. • Take advantage of the special opportunities Antarctica offers for scientific research. • Protect the Antarctic environment, having regard to its special qualities and effects on our region. • Maintain Antarctica’s freedom from strategic and/or political confrontation. • Be informed about and able to influence developments in a region geographically proximate to Australia. • Derive any reasonable economic benefits from living and non-living resources of the Antarctic (excluding deriving such benefits from mining and oil drilling). Australian Antarctic Magazine seeks to inform the Australian and international Antarctic community about the activities of the Australian Antarctic program. Opinions expressed in Australian Antarctic Magazine do not necessarily represent the position of the Australian CONTENTS Government. Australian Antarctic Magazine is produced twice a year DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE POLICY (June and December). All text and images published in the Australia’s Antarctic future 1 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting 19 magazine are copyright of the Commonwealth of Australia, unless otherwise stated. Editorial enquiries, including SCIENCE EXPEDITIONERS requests to reproduce material, or contributions, should be Spotlight on the K-Axis 2 Building Team Mawson 20 addressed to: DNA barcoding plankton 4 Expeditioner with an eye to the sky 22 The Editor Visionary approach to ageing Antarctic krill 5 Australian Antarctic Magazine HISTORY Australian Antarctic Division Krill focus for inaugural Fellow 6 Two-wheeled Antarctic adventures 24 203 Channel Highway Sizing up marine ecosystems 8 Lost: Antarctic history etched in a bottle 26 Kingston, 7050 Time Machine earth reveals icy past and Commemorating Antarctic ANZACs 28 Tasmania, Australia. future sea level 10 Australian Antarctic Division Measuring algae in the fast ice 12 ANTARCTIC ART Telephone: (03) 6232 3209 Adélie penguins on the rise in East Antarctica 14 Ice in your paintbrush 29 IN BRIEF (International 61 3 6232 3209) ICEBREAKER email: [email protected] New icebreaker plans unveiled 16 FREEZE FRAME Facsimile: (03) 6232 3288 POLAR MEDICINE (International 61 3 6232 3288) Editor: Wendy Pyper Remote medicine 18 Production: Sally Chambers, Jessica Fitzpatrick Graphic Design: WOOF Creative Solutions Issue 29: December 2015 ABOUT THE COVER ISSN 1445-1735 (print version) Building Services Supervisor, Peter Layt, took the Australian Antarctic Magazine is printed on Monza satin cover photo of ice crystals growing on a window recycled paper; a 50% post consumer waste and 50% FSC at Mawson station just after mid-winter. The back- certified fibre stock. lighting by the low-level sun gave the crystals a gold colour. During winter the crystals formed in Australian Antarctic Magazine can be viewed online: an endless array of different shapes and patterns, www.antarctica.gov.au/magazine which looked absolutely stunning when the detail was revealed under magnification. Peter used a Nikon D800 camera set at f7.1, 1/320s, ISO 400, with a Micro (macro) 200 mm 1:4D lens. 1. Australian Antarctic Division Director, 1 Dr Nick Gales, at the launch of the AAD Antarctic Gateway Partnership in September. The Partnership aims to consolidate Tasmania’s place as a global leader in Antarctic and Southern Ocean science and get more scientists on the ice.

Australia’s Antarctic future

In August I was privileged to take on the role of Director of the Australian Antarctic Division, at one of the most exciting times in Australia’s Antarctic history. Top of my ‘to do’ list is continuing the good work started by our previous Director, Dr Tony Fleming, to support the delivery of an Australian Antarctic strategy and, as part of that strategy, replace our ageing icebreaker ship, Aurora Australis, with a new research and resupply vessel. You will not be surprised that I will bring to the Division’s Airbus. And our science projects role of Director a strong focus on our Antarctic this season will involve collaborations Australia has maintained an active interest science. I want to ensure that our opportunities with 21 countries and 150 international in Antarctica for more than 100 years and to conduct our world class research are institutions. Our vision to see Hobart grow as these two significant projects will enable us maximised and that we deliver the information an international gateway to Antarctica and an to further our leadership in Antarctic science, we need to protect and understand Antarctica Antarctic science hub is happening! policy and operations over the coming decades. and our climate. It is through this research As you’ll discover in this issue of the Australian As the backbone of the Australian Antarctic that our strategic collaborations with our Antarctic Magazine, this season will involve a program, our new icebreaker will play a critical neighbours are delivered. major marine science project south of Heard role in Australia’s Antarctic future. The ship My Executive and I will also continue to lead Island to assess habitats, productivity and will provide a world-class scientific platform Australia’s engagement with the international food webs on the Kerguelen Axis in the Indian for conducting multi-disciplinary research in Antarctic community to maintain and further Sector of the Southern Ocean (page 2). DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE the Southern Ocean and sea-ice zone, and a develop relationships with other nations to A wide-ranging geodesy research program flexible logistical platform for station resupply. achieve our scientific, environmental and will be active in the Prince Charles Mountains, The icebreaking performance alone (1.65 m operational goals. This will include negotiations east of Davis and in the Bunger Hills (page 10). of ice at a speed of three knots, compared to through international bodies such as the Land-fast sea ice studies off Davis will employ the Aurora Australis’ 1.23 m of ice) will extend Committee for the Conservation of Antarctic remotely operated vehicles underneath the our potential operating season, while the 1200 29 2015 Marine Living Resources, the Antarctic Treaty sea ice (page 12). And an airborne geophysics tonne cargo capacity will increase our ability to Consultative Meeting, and the Council of program conducted over a number of years carry equipment and infrastructure by 50 per ISSUE Managers of National Antarctic Programs. will continue to use airborne instruments to cent. Our new ship will change the way we are investigate the Antarctic ice sheet over vast able to work in Antarctica. Our Australian Antarctic Program is already distances. These are just a few of the 94 active truly international and highly collaborative. This Continuing this vision, this Antarctic season science projects across the program. season, for example, we are involved in logistic will see us explore a new aerial logistics collaborations with the United States, China, capability as we conduct up to five proof of Dr NICK GALES New Zealand, France and Italy, and recently we concept flights to Wilkins aerodrome, in a C17A Director, Australian Antarctic Division reached formal agreements to share logistics Globemaster, with the Royal Australian Air with the US, China, New Zealand and France Force (RAAF). These flights have the potential during the 2015–16 season. to enhance Australia’s logistical and scientific capabilities in the region and improve the Chinese, French and Italian expeditioners will

RAAF’s capability for search and rescue and also use Hobart as a gateway for flights to MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN multi-casualty air evacuation. and from Wilkins aerodrome on the Antarctic 1 Marion Dufresne, the Japanese Umitaka The productivity component of the work Maru and CSIRO’s new national research will focus primarily on iron sources in each Spotlight facility, Investigator. There will also be some habitat area. oceanographic input from the US vessel Roger ‘Each of these areas has different potential Revelle. The data collected will help address a sources of iron, which is critical for blooms number of research questions. on the of phytoplankton at different times,’ Dr The first area of research will investigate Constable said. the factors that affect the distribution of ‘However, the sources of iron in the Southern K-Axis Antarctic krill and determine the species’ Ocean are a big question at present. It could northern limits. These factors could include come from the adjacent continents via the temperature, the distribution of their food wind, or be concentrated in sea ice through Draw a line from the South Pole, through the source (phytoplankton), sea ice extent, and a variety of processes. Or it may be released Amery Ice Shelf on the East Antarctic coast, the southern boundary of the Antarctic from the sediments or hydrothermal vents.’ and out into the Southern Ocean, between Circumpolar Current. This information will be Heard Island and Kerguelen Island, and you used in ecosystem models of the krill-based If the biogeochemical teams onboard the have an ‘axis’ that intersects three key habitat food web to understand how the species Aurora Australis and Investigator can identify areas. The Kerguelen Axis or ‘K-Axis’ is one may be affected by climate change and which iron sources are the most important of only three lines of longitude where the ocean acidification. This in turn will feed into in the K-Axis, they can help improve the Antarctic Circumpolar Current flows across the management measures and catch limits for way ecosystems models represent primary Antarctic continental shelf, the deep ocean krill fisheries. production in the region. and subantarctic islands, resulting in one of the most highly productive regions for polar The second area of research will examine the For the food web structure analysis, the plants and animals, and valuable toothfish, relationships between planktonic species, research team will examine the distribution icefish and krill fisheries. including phytoplankton, zooplankton and of marine mammals and seabirds across the krill, with different habitat characteristics. K-axis and look for any ‘hotspots’ of activity. Early next year, the K-Axis will be the focus These characteristics include temperature, To do this they will draw on existing predator of a major Australian marine science voyage, salinity, depth, iron supply (for phytoplankton monitoring work by France and Australia at led by Dr Andrew Constable of the Australian growth) and carbonate concentration (used Kerguelen Island and Davis station respectively. Antarctic Division and Antarctic Climate and to form shells and other hard structures in Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre planktonic and other species). (ACE CRC). The voyage will study the physical, biological and chemical conditions that drive ‘As the Southern Ocean warms and winter sea the krill-based food web in the southern part ice extent decreases, we could see temperate of the axis, and the fish and copepod (small species migrating south towards the poles,’ Dr 1. Dr Andrew Constable is leading the crustaceans) dominated food web in the Constable said. K-axis voyage. north. It will also establish methods for the ‘So knowledge of the key habitat variables 2. The K-Axis voyage will study the long-term observation of the region in the that limit the ranges of species is crucial for physical, biological and chemical face of climate change. determining whether such temperate marine conditions across the Kerguelen ‘The K-axis is an important foraging area for food webs will migrate towards the poles, Plateau. seals, whales, penguins and flying seabirds, resulting in a contraction in polar food webs.’ 3. This graphic shows the environmental and is the site of valuable toothfish and icefish A third research area will assess phytoplankton (physical, chemical and human) fisheries on the northern Kerguelen Plateau productivity and food web structure in three processes affecting the krill-based and potential krill fisheries in the south,’ Dr habitat areas of the K-Axis – close to the food web in the more southerly Constable said. Antarctic continent (continental shelf habitat), latitudes of the subantarctic, and the ‘Because of its high levels of primary the BANZARE Bank and adjacent open ocean, copepod-fish-based food web further production [phytoplankton growth] the region and the northern Kerguelen Plateau, near to north. From Melbourne-Thomas et SCIENCE also contributes significantly to the drawdown subantarctic islands. al. in prep. of atmospheric carbon dioxide into the deep ocean. 1 ‘All these characteristics make the K-Axis an excellent place to identify physical, 29 2015 chemical and biological drivers of the Glenn Jacobson

ISSUE different food webs found in the Southern Ocean, and to measure ecosystem change as a result of climate change.’ Despite the region’s importance, the voyage will be the first to study the K-axis as a whole. To ensure maximum return on their research investment, the Aurora Australis-based voyage will also coordinate with three other research vessels conducting additional or complementary research in the region – the French ship AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN 2 2 ‘Both France and Australia monitor the densities of fish and krill movement of penguins, seals and flying seabirds in areas where they are AADC in the region each year,’ Dr Constable said. and are not foraging. Below that we will see ‘The Davis-based predators where the zooplankton are found – are they in migrate to the north of the the same place as the fish or is there a flux over region we’ll be traversing time, in different places, by ship and the Kerguelen which the fish exploit? Then we can look at predators migrate into the the data layer showing south of the region. ‘ the distribution of ‘The main outcome of this work will be to phytoplankton and its productivity, so that we enhance the realism of these models, to ‘We’ll also use acoustic technology and can see where it is and how much is available identify methods and technologies that will observers to locate any whales in the region.’ for krill, fish and zooplankton to eat. Below allow long-term monitoring of the effects of that, we’ll have a layer of information about climate change and ocean acidification on The team will also look at the distribution of ocean chemistry and dynamics. Southern Ocean ecosystems in the region, and small ‘mesopelagic’ fish. These fish live in the to provide information for conservation and top 200 to 1000 metres of ocean and are an ‘We’ll be able to see the relationships between fisheries management,’ Dr Constable said. important food source for seals, penguins and all these layers, which will give us a better other predators. DNA analysis of the stomach understanding of what drives the movement of predators and fish.’ WENDY PYPER contents of the fish will provide information Australian Antarctic Division about their diet – different phytoplankton These drivers could include trace metals This project is funded by the Australian and zooplankton species (see DNA barcoding such as iron, ocean currents, sea ice, or a Antarctic Division, ACE CRC and Australian plankton, page 4) – which can in turn be related combination of physical and chemical factors. Research Council Special Research Initiative. back to the effects of different habitats and ocean chemistry on plankton productivity. The research team aims to place all the ecological observations in the context of ‘The best way to think about all these data is as physical and chemical drivers of possible layers,’ Dr Constable said. change in the region. This will feed into ‘So we will have a layer showing where the ecosystem models being developed at the predators forage and another layer showing the Australian Antarctic Division and the ACE CRC.

3 Primary drivers of ecosystem change Temperature Acidification Wind Harvesting SCIENCE 29 2015 ISSUE

NEARSHORE BENTHIC

HABITATS AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN

TRANSITIONS 3 DEEP SEA Processes CANYON & VENT 1

1. Dr Bruce Deagle is using advances in DNA technology to identify hundreds of plankton species at once. Glenn Jacobson 2. Krill and other plankton species captured on the silk mesh of the Continuous Plankton Recorder can be identified under the microscope or with new DNA techniques.

DNA 2 ‘We’ll be measuring different things that tell barcoding us about that change, and we’ll provide a genetic perspective on which plankton species are shifting within the study region.’ plankton To do this the pair will analyse the DNA in water and plankton-net samples collected in the study area, and in the stomach Genetic technologies pioneered by the Human contents of small ‘mesopelagic’ fish Genome Project are opening up new realms of (these fish live in the top 200-1000 m of discovery for scientists studying microscopic Bruce Deagle ocean and are an important food source for Antarctic marine plants and animals. seals and penguins). Australian Antarctic Division molecular Dr Deagle said the new DNA methods have ecologist, Dr Bruce Deagle, said advances Dr Deagle will also apply the technology to already revealed some exciting findings in in DNA sequencing are enabling scientists look at bycatch in the krill fishing industry. other marine systems. to simultaneously identify hundreds of Krill fishing vessels filter large volumes of water to collect krill, catching tiny larval fish phytoplankton and zooplankton species ‘Recent research has highlighted that up to in the process. (collectively called plankton) in a single sample. a third of the small unicellular organisms in temperate and tropical marine plankton Such samples include the stomach contents of ‘The fish are a relatively small bycatch, but surveys are being overlooked when using fish, water and plankton-net samples collected it’s easy to identify the species with DNA only morphological [physical] identification from the Southern Ocean, and potentially even barcoding and this can tell you about the methods,’ he said. aquaculture feeds. distribution of fish larvae and the impact the krill fishery could have on the species,’ he said. A closely related study underway at the ‘New methods of sequencing mean that we can Antarctic Division compares DNA-based sequence hundreds of thousands of genes at Dr Deagle is working with a Norwegian krill

SCIENCE identification with traditional morphological once, compared to the old days when we could fishing company to trial the technology as a identification of organisms collected using only sequence one at a time,’ Dr Deagle said. quality control for their krill meal. an almost century-old technology – the ‘DNA barcoding allows us to confirm whether The approach for identifying plankton relies on continuous plankton recorder, or CPR. ‘barcodes’, which are segments of DNA unique their product is entirely Antarctic krill – ‘The CPR is towed behind the ship and catches to different species. These genetic markers are Euphasia superba – or whether it contains

29 2015 plankton on a silk mesh that slowly winds amplified from the total DNA extracted from other krill species,’ he said. through the instrument,’ Dr Deagle said. a sample and the resulting sequences are then ‘The krill are taken from different areas of ISSUE compared to a reference database to identify ‘We can then identify organisms captured in the fishery at different times, so in theory the organisms. the silk, under the microscope, or we could identify which areas have a high using genetics. Dr Deagle and post-doctoral fellow Dr Laurence proportion of bycatch or non-target krill species. This could allow the company to Clarke, from the Antarctic Climate and ‘Our DNA methodology won’t replace this adjust where they fish to minimise Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, will morphological identification, but it will those effects.’ use the technology on the K-Axis voyage (see complement it, allowing us to identify species Spotlight on the K-Axis, page 2) to monitor that look physically identical, but that are WENDY PYPER plankton biodiversity in different habitats and genetically different. Australian Antarctic Division regions of the study. ‘The high-throughput nature of the genetic ‘The main goal of the K-Axis study is to look at analysis means in the future we should be able

AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN the shift from a krill-based ecosystem to the to process many more samples to enhance

4 fish/copepod-based ecosystem as you move our understanding of Southern Ocean north from Antarctica,’ Dr Deagle said. plankton dynamics.’ The collaborators were recently awarded a $48,200 research grant Visionary approach to from the Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund to conduct ageing Antarctic krill the work.

Scientists are testing a visionary approach to Unlike many fish and invertebrates that In 2012 Dr Kilada found that annual growth ageing Antarctic krill – counting annual layers record their age in growth rings deposited in bands are formed in the eyestalk of larger in their eyestalks. structures such as ear bones, scales and shells, crustaceans, which can be counted under a krill do not have any such hard parts that are light microscope. The collaborative research Australian Antarctic Division krill researcher, Dr preserved when they moult. Krill also team now aim to determine the efficacy of the So Kawaguchi, and his colleagues, Dr Christian shrink if food is limited, unlike other technique in aquarium-raised krill of known Reiss (lead investigator) from the US National crustaceans, so using body length as a proxy age, as well as wild krill collected during Marine Fisheries Service and Dr Raouf Kilada for age doesn’t work. recent and future Antarctic voyages. from the University of New Brunswick (St John), Canada, have joined forces to While indirect ageing techniques have The team will also examine krill samples investigate using eyestalks to age Antarctic been developed, including eyeball size or 1 preserved in formalin during research cruises krill, based on a technique developed by Dr the accumulation of natural of the US Antarctic Marine Living Resources Kilada in 2012 in lobsters, crabs and shrimp. fluorescent pigments in nerve Program, conducted between 1991 and tissue, these are affected by 2015. ‘The Australian Antarctic Division’s role in seasonal and environmental this collaboration will be to provide krill of a ‘If this technique works on formalin- conditions, such as food known age, grown in our research aquarium in preserved samples it would open availability and temperature. Kingston, to validate this method in the much Raouf Kilada up the possibility of making direct This complicates smaller and more fragile Antarctic krill,’ Dr comparisons of the size at age of krill comparisons of krill age Kawaguchi said. in different areas and in different time across areas with different periods,’ Dr Kawaguchi said. The collaborators were recently awarded a environmental conditions. $48,200 research grant from the Antarctic ‘This could include comparing ‘Our inability to directly age krill Wildlife Research Fund to conduct the work. historical growth during Douglas Mawson’s limits our understanding of krill ecology, Discovery expeditions in the early 1930s with ‘If the technique works as well for krill as it because we cannot compare size at age contemporary samples, or comparing Weddell does for larger crustaceans, we’ll be able to among areas of the Antarctic with different Sea with Antarctic Peninsula samples. develop more accurate age-based growth environmental conditions, or krill growth and models to improve krill fishery management,’ recruitment over time,’ Dr Kawaguchi said. ‘From this we could determine if there’s been Dr Kawaguchi said. any change in the age or the size at age ‘It also limits our understanding of the structure of populations and what might have ‘We’ll also be able to compare krill growth in variability in krill population structure – caused that change.’ different parts of Antarctica and we’ll have an including growth, recruitment and size age-structure baseline against which future at age – at local, regional and circum- The research team will provide the results and changes in krill populations can be observed.’ Antarctic scales.’ techniques to members of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, to enable the age-based assessments needed for fishery management.

WENDY PYPER SCIENCE Australian Antarctic Division 2

1. The eyestalk of a nylon shrimp

(Heterocarpus reedi) from Chile. The 29 2015 top image shows the intact eyestalk

with its compound eye. In the bottom ISSUE image the eye has been removed.

2. Dr So Kawaguchi in the krill aquarium at the Australian Antarctic Division. The facility is the only one of its kind in the world. AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN 5 Glenn Jacobson 1

Krill focus for inaugural Fellow

Australian Antarctic Division molecular ecologist Dr Bruce Deagle was the inaugural recipient of the R.J.L. Hawke Postdoctoral Fellowship for Antarctic Environmental Science* in 2011. During his three- year fellowship Dr Deagle made significant advances in krill research.

Not long after I started my fellowship project, Pacific and Indian Ocean sectors) and collected ocean acidification. Specifically, we wanted to the size of the krill genome was estimated. over 90 billion bases of DNA sequence data. understand the physiological pathways in krill At 50 billion base pairs it was huge – about that are being affected. The data were incredibly complex due to a 15 times larger than the human genome. large component of each krill genome being To do this we looked at how krill modify This discovery gave me the opportunity composed of repetitive DNA elements. These the use of their genes within the genome to use ‘high-throughput DNA sequencing’ repetitive elements are a diverse array of (known as ‘gene expression’) under different (producing thousands of different sequences DNA sequences that are repeated many times CO exposure conditions in the laboratory. concurrently) to characterise smaller parts of 2 within the genome of an individual krill (from Since each gene has a particular biochemical the genome and, at the same time, address duplicates to thousands of copies). function (for example, they may be involved in ecologically important questions about this a particular metabolic process or a cell stress keystone Antarctic species. Once we devised a method to reliably response), we can look at all the changes in characterise these genetic markers we could The ecological questions fall into two broad gene expression to get a picture of what is get a clear DNA ‘fingerprint’ for an individual categories. First, is there any segregation of going wrong with krill development. This may krill – a set of genetic markers that distinguish krill into semi-independent populations in also tell us whether krill will be able to adapt an individual krill from all others. However, their distribution around Antarctica? Second, to future environmental conditions. SCIENCE we found no signal related to the collection what are the underlying causes behind the sites. This means that if we took two krill from Before we could investigate this question we sensitivity of krill to ocean acidification, a swarm in the Ross Sea and one from the needed to create a detailed ‘transcriptome’ (a which is caused by increasing amounts of South Atlantic 7000 km away, each krill would catalogue of genes) for the species. Some work atmospheric CO dissolving in the ocean? 2 contain genetic variability, but there would has been done in this area in the past, but These questions seem quite unrelated, be no set of genetic markers that were more based on the data collected at the Antarctic 29 2015 but both can be answered using recently similar in the two Ross Sea krill. This lack of Division during this project, we have been able developed cutting-edge genetic methods that genetic structuring supports the idea that to extend the number of known genes in krill ISSUE allow us to examine DNA sequences in more there is a continuous flux of krill between from about 60 000 to over 140 000. detail than ever before. regions carried by the strong Antarctic A large part of the data analysis was carried Circumpolar Current. This research was To address the first question on population out by colleagues from the University of published in the journal Molecular Ecology structure my colleagues and I sequenced Padova in Italy, to assemble an annotated under the title ‘Antarctic krill population genetic markers from throughout the transcriptome database (a list of krill genes genomics: apparent panmixia, but genome Antarctic krill genome. These markers are and details of their function). This new complexity and large population size muddy DNA sequences shared by all krill, which catalogue is already being used in several the water’ (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ vary enough to be able to detect potential other projects at the Antarctic Division and doi/10.1111/mec.13370/abstract). differences amongst the krill found in internationally, looking at everything from different regions around Antarctica. We The second ecological question we how krill synchronize with their seasonal looked at variation in about 150 krill from five investigated was the underlying causes environment to the mechanisms of krill sex AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN Southern Ocean sites (covering the Atlantic, behind the observed sensitivity of krill to determination. 6 2

4 Steve Nicol Glenn Jacobson

3 Wendy Pyper Wendy

1. Dr Deagle’s Hawke Fellowship research supports the idea that there is a continuous flux of krill between regions carried by the strong Antarctic Circumpolar Current.

2. Dr Deagle and his collaborators have produced a list of krill genes that Kristin Raw SCIENCE are responding to changes in CO2 concentrations in the ocean. These genes and their functions continue to be investigated. We are now in theprocess of producing a web- projects within the ecological genetics group at the Antarctic Division (see DNA barcoding 3. Former Australian Prime Minister Bob

accessed database to make this transcriptome 29 2015 information widely available. plankton, page 4) and I hope to make broad Hawke (left) congratulates Dr Bruce Deagle, the first recipient of the R.J.L.

contributions to this interesting area of ISSUE Our experiments on CO2 exposure have Antarctic science in the future. Hawke Postdoctoral Fellowship for produced a list of krill genes that are Antarctic Environmental Science, responding to changes in CO2. These genes BRUCE DEAGLE in 2011. and their functions are being investigated Former R.J.L. Hawke Postdoctoral Fellow in additional krill aquarium experiments 4. Dr Bettina Meyer (left) and Ulrich by collaborators from the Alfred Wegener *The R.J.L. Hawke Postdoctoral Fellowship Freier from the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany. So this aspect of the was named in honour of former Australian Institute of Polar and Marine Science work is still in progress. Prime Minister Bob Hawke, acknowledging in Germany, have worked with Dr his contribution to protecting the Antarctic Bruce Deagle on some aspects of his On a personal level, the fellowship allowed environment. The fellowship is awarded on krill research. me to return to Tasmania after several years the basis of scientific excellence for early conducting research in Canada, and to career doctoral graduates to pursue policy- continue to do Antarctic science. During the relevant science aligned to the Australian MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN 7 Fellowship I was involved in several other Antarctic Science Plan Rowan Trebilco received his open water SCUBA ‘I’d always wanted to do research in subtidal diving ticket at just 14 – the minimum age [reef] areas so that I could spend more time Sizing up for aspiring divers. Since then his love of the SCUBA diving,’ he said. sea has seen him acquire a range of specialty ‘So I developed a research project focused SCUBA skills and inspired an academic path on reef fish community ecology in the Haida through the subantarctic and Southern marine Gwaii archipelago in northern Ocean environments. British Columbia.’ Along the way Rowan spent almost two His PhD research investigated the body size ecosystems years on Heard and Macquarie islands, and number of fish in reef communities and working with macaroni penguins, elephant the energy flow of the reef – the transfer of seals, albatross and giant petrels, and led biomass through predator-prey interactions. Former Rhodes Scholar Dr Rowan research investigating how to mitigate Trebilco has been awarded the interactions between seabirds and Australian The work segued neatly into his new role as a longline fisheries. Hawke post-doctoral fellow (named in honour second R.J.L Hawke Postdoctoral of former Australian Prime Minister Bob ‘My fieldwork in the subantarctic primarily Hawke) which began in July. During the two Fellowship in Antarctic involved satellite tracking and population year project Rowan will develop size-based Environmental Science. During monitoring, and my work in bycatch models to understand the role of mesopelagic mitigation sparked an interest in conservation his project he will develop models fish and squid in Southern Ocean ecosystems, planning,’ he said. focused on mesopelagic fish and the impact of fishing and climate change ‘When I finished my undergraduate degree I on them. (see photo) and squid, to better found myself in a job where my role was to ‘Size-based ecological models recognise that understand how Southern Ocean provide scientific advice to guide conservation individual body size is often more important and fisheries management, but I didn’t feel my ecosystems are structured and than species identity in determining an quantitative [measurement] skills and policy individual’s role in the food web,’ Rowan said. how they respond to fishing knowledge were as good as they could be.’ pressures and climate change. ‘Individual metabolic rates and energetic To enhance his knowledge of biogeography requirements, as well as life history traits like and conservation policy Rowan successfully growth rate, reproductive age and lifespan, applied for a Rhodes Scholarship to study are closely tied to body size. Body sizes also a Masters in Biodiversity Conservation and play a central role in determining interactions Management at Oxford University. To improve between predators and prey – as a predator, his quantitative skills, he subsequently enrolled in a PhD at Simon Fraser University in Canada.

1. Rowan prepares to weigh an elephant seal pup on Macquarie SCIENCE Island in 2005.

2. Mesopelagic fish, such as these Chris Brown Antarctic silverfish (Pleuragramma antarcticum) live in the top 200- 1 1000 m of ocean. Most mesopelagic 29 2015 fish are small planktivores, and many ascend at night to feed in ISSUE the nutrient rich waters of the 2 epipelagic zone (top 200 m) before descending to depths during the day. Most other mesopelagic species are large-mouthed ambush predators, such as the Antarctic toothfish.

3. Rowan prepares for a dive in the Haida Gwaii archipelago in northern British Columbia.

4. Rowan drives a zodiac during the AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN 2005 summer resupply at Macquarie 8 Island. Philippe Koubbi you can only eat something if it’s in the The new collection will involve trawling for size-range you can handle, and swallow. fish and squid at different depths up to 1000 3 m. The marine creatures will then be sorted ‘So size-based models provide a powerful way into size classes within species groups. Stable to understand how marine communities are isotope analysis (using two forms of nitrogen organised and how they respond to fishing – the regular 14N and the heavier 15N) will and climate change, even if you don’t have be used to determine how trophic position detailed species and life-stage-specific dietary changes with body size. information.’ ‘The higher up the food chain you go the more Mesopelagic fish and squid are important prey 15N is enriched in the body of the organism,’ species for penguins, seals and other large Rowan explained. marine predators, so they play a key role in transferring energy from zooplankton (which Using this data Rowan will develop size- they eat) to higher predators. However the based models for mesopelagic organisms in sensitivity of mesopelagic fish and squid to the region, including representations of the the impacts of fishing and climate change is effects of fishing pressure. He will also travel poorly understood and they are generally poorly to France next year on a Scientific Committee represented in current models. on Antarctic Research Fellowship, to work with international experts on mesopelagic fish to To build his size-based models Rowan will focus Lynn Lee develop and refine the models. on fish and squid in the Kerguelen Plateau region of the Southern Ocean – an area of ‘The model results will allow us to infer high productivity and commercially important how sensitive mesopelagic fish and squid The models will contribute to larger toothfish and icefish fisheries. are to potential fishing and climate-related ecosystem modelling efforts being developed environmental changes in the region,’ he said. by the Australian Antarctic Division and the He will consolidate existing data from the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative region on biomass and size distributions, species ‘They will also help us identify potential Research Centre. abundance, life history parameters and other indicators of change, and determine how variables, and collect new data during the K-Axis changes in fish and squid might affect WENDY PYPER voyage (see Spotlight on the K-Axis, page 2). higher predators.’ Australian Antarctic Division

4 SCIENCE 29 2015 ISSUE AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN 9 Chris Brown 1 Matt Burke

2 Time Machine earth reveals icy past and future sea level

University of Tasmania Professor of Polar ‘By combining accurate measurements Geodesy, Matt King, has the weight of the of GIA with satellite measurements of world on his mind. Or rather, its mass; and in the change in Antarctica’s total mass [of particular, the mass of Antarctica. land and ice], we can differentiate the mass change due to ice and calculate its By understanding how Antarctica’s land mass contribution to today’s sea level.’ changes in response to its icy blanket melting or accumulating over thousands of years, he There is already comprehensive and and his Australian and British colleagues hope reliable data that West Antarctica is to provide better models and estimates of losing ice at an accelerating rate of present-day sea-level change. about 120 billion tonnes per year. However, model estimates of East ‘If we can understand the behaviour of the Antarctica’s contribution to present solid earth and how that’s changing, we can day sea-level change vary from +30 work out how the ice is changing and how to -109 billion tonnes of meltwater that contributes to sea-level change,’ Professor per year – the difference between a King said. small contribution to sea-level rise or a When Earth started to deglaciate following substantial offset to the Last Glacial Maximum about 20 000 years further rise. ago, the ice that was covering and depressing One of the primary reasons for this SCIENCE the continents melted into the ocean. Over uncertainty is the limited knowledge of thousands of years, as the weight of ice lifted, the GIA of East Antarctica, due to the dearth the continents generally started to rise and of information on how the ice sheet changed To do this the team will deploy GPS and the ocean basins generally began to subside. since the Last Glacial Maximum and the seismometers at seven inland rock outcrops This process, called Glacial Isostatic properties of the earth beneath the region. across a 1400 km transect between the

29 2015 Adjustment (GIA) is happening in Antarctica in This is the very information that GIA models West Ice Shelf and the Totten Glacier, this response to both past and present ice changes. rely on for accuracy. season (see graphic). Over three years the ISSUE But it’s not a consistent movement across the GPS will measure horizontal and vertical ‘One of the largest disagreements is within continent and it’s not all uplift – with thick ice movement at each location with a precision the Casey-Davis sector, where predictions of and heavier snowfalls in East of better than 1 mm/year. The seismometers present-day bedrock motion due to GIA vary Antarctica likely to be depressing that part of will provide information on the crust and between uplift of 4 mm/yr and subsidence the continent, while past and present ice loss mantle characteristics such as temperature of 1 mm/yr for the same location,’ Professor in West Antarctica is causing it to rise. and composition, based on propagating King said. earthquake waves from around the world. ‘The speed at which Antarctica is uplifting now ‘Our project aims to collect new field data on depends on how and when the ice changed The team will also collect ice history data from bedrock uplift and how ice thickness changed and the characteristics of the earth’s crust and a number of sites, looking at boulders and over time and apply those data to improve mantle,’ Professor King said. moraine lines left by past glacier movement. ice sheet reconstructions and a model of

AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN ‘Some parts of Antarctica may have responded GIA. We’ll then apply our new GIA model ‘Chemical signatures in boulders will tell us quickly to ice loss or gain in the past, while to produce an improved estimate of East when they were exposed to the radiation 10 other areas may still be responding today. Antarctica’s contribution to present-day from deep space as glaciers retreated, while sea level.’ moraine lines will indicate the level of the ice satellites. These satellites, launched by NASA 1. The bedrock beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet is and enable us to track its retreat,’ Professor and the German Aerospace Centre in 2002, constantly changing in response to changes King said. measure Earth’s gravity field, which is affected in the gain or loss of ice. Scientists can use by the mass of ice, oceans, atmosphere and this movement in combination with gravity ‘These studies will help to constrain past ice land below. measurements from satellites, to determine the sheet configurations and simulations of past mass of the land, and from there the changes ice sheet behaviour in our models.’ ‘We can infer mass change in Antarctica from in ice mass and its contribution to sea level. these satellite gravity measurements, but the The installation of new GPS and seismometers GRACE satellites measure the 2. This graphic shows present-day bedrock deeper inland, will total mass change, rather uplift rates (mm/year) for the Casey-Davis complement and ‘The new inland than the change due to ice or region of East Antarctica from three models enhance existing GPS oceans, and so on,’ Professor (top three graphics) and satellite data/snow sites established by data will allow King said. modelling (bottom graphic, G14). The three Geoscience Australia different models predict substantially different at coastal sites Professor King and his ‘However, using computer patterns and magnitudes of uplift, which including Casey, models – including the colleagues to identify affect mass balance estimates based on gravity Davis, Mawson and updated GIA models – we measurements from the GRACE satellites. The the Bunger Hills, and which existing GIA can separate the different fourth data-driven representation is consistent by the Australian components that make up with GPS uplift rates elsewhere in Antarctica National University models and estimates the total mass. Once we’ve and suggests a much larger ice sheet during further to the west. identified the mass change of bedrock uplift are the Last Glacial Maximum in the region. The due to ice we can estimate The new inland data large squares mark the seven sites for GPS/ most accurate and to the contribution of East will allow Professor seismometer deployment, while small squares Antarctica to sea level.’ King and his improve on these.’ mark alternate sites. The triangle is a previously colleagues to identify Professor King is right to established GPS site at the Bunger Hills. Long- which existing GIA models and estimates equate the solid earth to a ‘time machine’ – term GPS observations are ongoing at the of bedrock uplift are most accurate and to one that can finally provide a realistic insight circled sites. From King et al 2014. improve on these. into East Antarctica’s icy past, and a future sea level. ‘We’ll have the first direct observations of bedrock uplift for most of this region, which WENDY PYPER will provide truly independent data for Australian Antarctic Division validating GIA model predictions,’ Professor This Picture King said. This project receives an Australian Antarctic A GPS system similar to, but smaller than this set- Science grant, and logistics is supported up in West Antarctica, will be deployed on seven ‘We’ll also be able to develop the first detailed through the Australian Research Council rocky outcrops in East Antarctica for three years, ice loading history for the West Ice Shelf to Special Research Initiative. and will measure tiny movements in the earth due Totten Glacier region using new observations to Glacial Isostatic Adjustment. In this system the on past ice extent. This will allow us to develop GPS antenna is on the right, with a radome above ice-sheet reconstructions that can be used to to protect it from snow, while its power source drive the GIA models for East Antarctica.’ appears on the left. To estimate the East Antarctic contribution to sea level, the validated GIA models will be applied to data collected by the GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) SCIENCE 29 2015 ISSUE AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN 11 (Matt King) ‘Last season we did some initial ice coring and outside the ROV survey areas. These core survey work with our New Zealand colleagues samples will measure the physical, chemical and Measuring to develop and fine tune the method in optical properties of the fast ice, the thickness the Ross Sea, and this season we will build and structure of snow cover on the ice, and the on that.’ abundance of algae in the ice. algae in the A key aim of the research is to understand ‘Ice and snow thickness are key factors that primary productivity (algae growth) in the control the growth of fast-ice algae in the Antarctic fast-ice zone. Ice algae are an sub-surface of the ice, due to their effect fast ice important food source for pelagic (open on light transmission through the ice,’ ocean) herbivores such as amphipods and Dr Meiners said. zooplankton. These critters in turn are preyed ‘These ice core measurements will help calibrate A remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) upon by fish. As a result, ice algae growth and and validate the ROV measurements.’ will be used to measure algae growth within distribution may influence the location of the sub-surface layers of ‘fast ice’ (sea ice suitable foraging habitat for predators, such as To complement and enhance the ice algae work, attached to land) at Davis this summer. penguins and seals. Australian Antarctic Division sea ice scientist, Dr Petra Heil, will operate automated fast ice The ROV will be operated by a team lead ‘We think early season productivity in the fast ‘observatories’ at Davis. These mass-balance by Dr Klaus Meiners, of the Australian ice kick-starts the food web, as algae in the ice buoys are deployed vertically through the snow Antarctic Division, and will use a range of begin growing earlier than algae in the water cover, fast ice and water beneath, and measure sensory equipment to measure the under-ice column,’ Dr Meiners said. structure, ice thickness, light penetration from the gain and loss of sea ice over time. The above, and the amount and distribution of ‘Understanding this process is important for buoys have been used in established locations algae living in the ice. developing models of fast-ice algae growth at Australian Antarctic stations since the on local, regional and circum-Antarctic scales, 1950s, providing a long-term dataset of sea ice ‘We will use the ROV to carry out weekly and assessing climate change impacts on formation and decay. observations of the physical and biological ice-associated primary production and overall ‘A key aim of this project is to develop methods properties of the fast ice sub-surface in 200 ecosystem function.’ square metre areas, over about five weeks to simultaneously measure sea ice physical during the spring-summer transition period,’ The joint Australia-New Zealand project will characteristics and ice-algae biomass to improve Dr Meiners said. combine the ROV measurements with ‘point physical and biological sea ice models,’ Dr measurements’ from ice cores taken within Meiners said. SCIENCE 29 2015 ISSUE AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN 12 ‘This includes improving automated 1 3 observatories which have been used successfully to collect monthly seasonal measurements of physical sea ice characteristics. In the future these observatories will be equipped with radiometers to measure the amount of light that can penetrate the sea ice. This information will be used to estimate ice-algal biomass.’ The research project will also compile historical data of ice algae growth and fast-ice Ulrich Freier formation and decay from around Antarctica from ice observatories, ice cores and satellites; work that will contribute to research programs 2 at the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre. ‘The historical data will allow us to test

theories on the effect of light and nutrient Pyper Wendy limitation on ice algae growth, understand the life cycle of algae across seasons, and look at patterns of algae growth in different 1. The ROV being deployed under the geographic regions,’ Dr Meiners said. sea ice in Antarctica.

‘Altogether, the data collected during 2. Dr Klaus Meiners with the Remotely this project will be used to determine the Operated Vehicle (ROV), which will relationship between snow and ice thickness be used to investigate the under-ice and ice algae growth, and develop a physically environment and algae growth in informed model of the seasonal development the fast-ice zone in Antarctica. and fate of ice algae in the fast ice, at regional and circumpolar scales.’ 3. Scientists collect ice cores to study the physical, chemical and optical

WENDY PYPER Pyper Wendy properties of the ice, the thickness Australian Antarctic Division and structure of snow cover on the ice, and the abundance of algae in the ice.

This Picture Ice algae are an important food source for tiny marine herbivores such as zooplankton. Studying algae growth in the ‘fast ice’ (attached to land) early in the season will help scientists develop models of fast-ice algae growth on local, regional and circum-Antarctic scales, and assess the impact of climate change on ice algae and the broader ecosystem. SCIENCE 29 2015 ISSUE AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN Kerry Steinberner Kerry 13 1

and Japan’s Syowa station. They included over 70% of the known Adélie breeding sites in East Antarctica. The team compared these recent population counts with penguins historical counts made at the same sites 30 years ago. From this they estimated rates of on the rise population change across the entire East Antarctic area, and at in East regional and local scales. ‘We found that the overall population across sites had increased by 69% at an average Antarctica rate of 1.9% per year,’ Dr Southwell said. Adélie penguin populations in East Antarctica The researchers then examined have almost doubled over the past 30 years the relationship between according to new research published in PLOS population changes and ONE in October. environmental conditions over shorter time scales at 72 of Australian Antarctic Division seabird ecologists, the sites. Dr Colin Southwell and Dr Louise Emmerson, alongside colleagues from France and Japan, ‘We saw a faster rate of found that the five main regional populations population increase five years of Adélie penguins in East Antarctica had after periods when winter increased between 1.8% and 2.5% per year sea-ice cover decreased,’ Dr since 1980. Emmerson said. Using aerial photographs and ground-based ‘This probably indicates that observations, the team counted Adélie changes in winter sea ice penguins during recent summer breeding primarily affect young penguins seasons at 99 breeding sites located along before they become breeders at 4500 km of the East Antarctic coastline. around five years old.’ The breeding sites were distributed Although population surveys have been made amongst five regional populations – close at many breeding sites, scientists have only to the French station Dumont d’Urville, snapshots of penguin numbers in time. This Australia’s Casey, Davis and Mawson stations, makes it difficult to identify exactly how

2 SCIENCE 29 2015 ISSUE AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN 14 (ouise Emmerson 3 1. This graphic shows the change in Adélie penguin breeding population size at five regional populations over the last 35-54 years. Population changes are represented by time series of abundance estimates (solid circles with error bars) and boxplot summaries (coloured boxes) of population growth rates between estimates. Grey dashed lines indicate zero growth rate. (Reproduced from Southwell et al 2015. PLOS ONE http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0139877)

2. Adélie penguin populations have increased by 69% in East Antarctica over the past 30 years.

3. This graphic shows the change in the East Antarctic Adélie penguin breeding population over the last 30 years. (A) shows the extent of survey region, (B) shows the distribution of Adélie penguin breeding sites and population counts within the survey region, and changing environmental conditions affect ‘It has been proposed that in areas where ice (C) shows estimated Adélie penguin population growth. However a number of is very extensive, such as East Antarctica, a breeding population at 99 sites hypotheses have been advanced. reduction in sea-ice extent will initially benefit surveyed recently and 30 years ago. the species up to a point, and then further ‘Two aspects of the East Antarctic marine In panel B, bars indicate the number reductions will be detrimental – as we are environment have changed over a large area of sites within half-degree longitude seeing in West Antarctica.’ and at a time that may be linked to the long- increments, with red bars for repeat term population increase,’ Dr Southwell said. The study authors said the future global surveys that contributed to estimates status of Adélie penguins will depend on the of population change and blue bars ‘Firstly, the harvesting of baleen whales, krill complex interplay between the changing for sites that did not contribute to and fish across East Antarctic waters through physical environment and the effects of estimates of change. For scale, the the 20th century could have altered the food human activities such as fishing and tourism. largest incremental bar (at Davis) web dynamics and reduced competition with indicates 30 breeding sites. (Edited other species for food. ‘Further studies such as this that look from Southwell et al 2015. PLOS at penguin responses over space and time ‘Secondly, a proposed reduction in sea-ice ONE. http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/ and in different environments are critical extent around Antarctica in the mid-20th journal.pone.0139877) for understanding ecosystem change and century may have benefited Adélie improving predictions of future changes penguins by enabling better access to the in Adélie penguin populations,’ ocean for foraging.’ Dr Emmerson said. Despite the consistent increase in the five regional populations, local population WENDY PYPER growth rates within the regional populations Australian Antarctic Division SCIENCE varied between 11.4% to -5.8% per year. This variation indicates that local processes – such as localised prey depletion or limited breeding habitat – affect population growth in

addition to regional processes such as reduced 29 2015 competition and sea-ice change. ISSUE The population increase in East Antarctica contrasts strongly with widespread decreases in the West Antarctic Peninsula over the same time. ‘With Adélie penguins there is a delicate balance between too much and too little sea ice for accessing foraging grounds, capturing prey and resting,’ Dr Emmerson said. Wendy Pyper Wendy AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN 15 Prime Minister, the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull, Australian company DMS Maritime Pty Ltd and Environment Minister, the Hon. Greg has been selected as preferred tenderer New Hunt, unveiled a scale model of the ship, to undertake the ship design and building which will be faster, larger, stronger and offer process, and will then operate and maintain increased endurance compared to the existing the icebreaker. icebreaker Aurora Australis. icebreaker The Department of the Environment and DMS The new ship provides a modern platform for Maritime Pty Ltd have recently commenced marine science research in both sea ice and formal contract negotiations. plans open water and a moon pool for launching Subject to successful contract negotiations, and retrieving remotely operated underwater the icebreaker will be built by Damen vehicles. A multi-beam bathymetric echo Shipyards, a highly reputable global unveiled sounder will enable seafloor mapping, while shipbuilder that has produced a broad range portable science laboratories will offer of bespoke vessels, including scientific, scientists space to conduct research. hydrographic, naval and ice-class ships. The Australian Antarctic Division The once-in-a-generation investment by The new icebreaker is expected to be the Australian Government will form the presented plans for its new commissioned in October 2019. Antarctic icebreaker in October. centerpiece of Australia’s Antarctic presence and influence the shape of Australia’s CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS Antarctic program for decades to come. Australian Antarctic Division

1. The new icebreaker will have a range of technologies for marine research, including a moon pool for launching and retrieving underwater vehicles.

2. L-R: Antarctic Division Director Dr Nick Gales, Environment Minister Greg Hunt and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, with the scale model of Australia’s new icebreaker.

This Picture A graphic showing helicopter operations from the new icebreaker. ICEBREAKER 29 2015 ISSUE AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN 16 1 AAD

2 Jenni Klaus ICEBREAKER 29 2015 ISSUE AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN Damen/DMS Maritime/Knud E Hansen A/S 17 Remote medicine

Training on the coldest, driest and windiest Mr Ho said working in Antarctica, a ‘one- ‘You’re expected to spend a lot of time with continent on earth may seem like a formidable doctor environment’, was particularly people and build a rapport with them. There challenge. But for Felix Ho, 33, a placement challenging for his supervisor Dr Grant was a lot of camaraderie and peer support.’ with the Australian Antarctic Division was a Jasiunas, who had a variety of responsibilities With plenty of remote experience under his dream opportunity. not usually asked of General Practitioners. belt, Mr Ho has returned to Darwin and is A paramedic turned medical student, Mr Ho ‘I was amazed by his ability to deal with so gearing up for his final studies in medicine was interested in pursuing a career as a doctor many things,’ Mr Ho said. at Flinders University, as part of its Northern in rural and remote health. When he applied Territory Medical Program. ‘You’re expected to do everything yourself, for the John Flynn Placement Program (JFPP) from treating dental problems to doing your Meanwhile, his interest in rural and remote in 2012, which is managed by Australian own imaging.’ health remains. College of Rural and Remote Medicine, the Antarctic Division was a brand new offering. And while the environmental conditions were ‘Hopefully, I could head back down to extreme, medical conditions were surprisingly Antarctica with a few more years of ‘I was so lucky to be one of the first ones to mild. Mr Ho encountered no major illnesses experience following medical school,’ he said, go,’ he said. or accidents, and no trauma. There were the adding that he’s keeping his mind open about Preparation is intense to brace students for ‘usual coughs and colds and quite a few general practice. the arduous conditions. Before heading off, dental problems,’ he said. ‘The opportunities are quite exciting and I’m he was required to complete two placements Of more significance was that the isolated not ruling it out.’ at the Antarctic Division’s headquarters in conditions and tight-knit community meant Hobart and get medical clearance (Australian The JFPP was established in 1997 and selects people frequently reached out for emotional Antarctic Magazine 24: 30-31, 2013). about 300 students each year for placement. and mental health support. Participants work closely with a rural doctor Mr Ho finally landed in Antarctica last ‘The real reasons people came to see us were in a wide variety of health settings and summer, and his placement was split between mostly psychological,’ Mr Ho said. experience one-on-one mentoring. two settings. The first was Casey station, the largest Australian base in Antarctica and ‘People wanted to chat and touch base with Other rural and remote placement which houses more than 100 people. Then the doctor.’ communities include Christmas Island and he boarded the Aurora Australis icebreaker the Pilbara. The typical rounds lasted a whole day, as Mr to treat about 50 people on board, including Ho and Dr Jasiunas had a coffee or lunch with research scientists and crew, while crossing the SHESHTYN PAOLA different people, making sure to touch base iceberg-studded waters. This story was originally published in the 28 August with all on-board. 2015 issue of Medical Observer. ‘The real consultation happened in the www.medicalobserver.com.au community,’ Mr Ho said.

This Picture Medical student Felix Ho (left) and his supervisor Dr Grant Jasiunas in Antarctica. POLAR MEDICINEPOLAR 29 2015 ISSUE AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN 18 Felix Ho Antarctic 1 Treaty Consultative Meeting

This year’s meetings of Antarctic Treaty Parties and the Committee for Environmental Protection, considered a range of issues and endorsed an online Antarctic Environments

Portal to connect scientists and policy-makers. Dimitar Kyosemarliev The internationally-agreed arrangements for the management and protection of Antarctica are discussed and decided during the annual 2 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. The countries with active Antarctic science programs take it in turn to host, with the 38th meeting being held in June this year in Sofia, Bulgaria. Australia was represented by a delegation of officials from the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of the Environment, and representatives of the Tasmanian State Government and Australian non- government organisations. The Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) held its meeting in parallel, to discuss environmental matters and prepare a report containing advice and recommendations to the Antarctic Treaty Parties.

Some of the main outcomes from discussions the CEP. A report on ‘Important Bird Areas 1. Delegates to the 18th meeting of included: in Antarctica’ was also prepared by Birdlife the Committee for Environmental International, using criteria that have been Protection. The meeting was chaired • Recognition of the value of international applied elsewhere in the world. The report by Ewan McIvor, Australian Antarctic cooperation on high-priority scientific identified over 200 locations that are Division Senior Environmental Policy research, with an emphasis on important breeding habitat for Antarctic Adviser. encouraging initiatives such as the bird species. Among other applications, the Southern Ocean Observing System (an 2. The Antarctic Environments

report will be used to consider the extent POLICY Australia-led multi-national program) that to which these Important Bird Areas are, or Portal bridges the gap between will contribute to a greater understanding should be, represented in the current series peer-reviewed Antarctic scientific of Antarctica’s important role in global of Antarctic Specially Protected Areas. research and the governance and climate processes. The Parties also adopted management work of the Antarctic a ‘Climate Change Response Work • Agreement to hold a symposium in 2016 Treaty System and the Committee for

Programme’ to guide the work of the CEP to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Environmental Protection. The portal 29 2015 to better understand and address the the Protocol on Environmental Protection is structured around the CEP’s priority

environmental implications of such change. (Madrid Protocol), which protects topics and includes summaries of ISSUE Antarctica as a natural reserve devoted to the state of knowledge of these • Endorsement of two new information peace and science, and places a permanent tools to inform effective environmental issues, their management and ban on mining. The symposium will enable environmental pressures. management. The Antarctic Environments Parties to celebrate past successes and Portal (https://www.environments.aq/) is consider the environmental challenges an online source of high-quality scientific facing Antarctica in the next 25 years. information relevant to the environmental challenges facing Antarctica. It has been The 39th Antarctic Treaty Consultative developed over several years by New Meeting and 19th meeting of the CEP will be Zealand, in collaboration with the Scientific held in Santiago, Chile, in May 2016. Committee on Antarctic Research,

Australia, Belgium and Norway, and will EWAN McIVOR MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN Senior Environmental Policy Adviser -

be a valuable tool to underpin the work of 19 Australian Antarctic Division, and CEP Chair Building Team Mawson

One thing incoming Mawson Station Leader ‘I’ve also seen how difficult it is for some Jenny Wressell is not afraid of, is dealing people to adjust to being in a different culture with unusual scenarios in remote and or away from their families and I’ve developed challenging locations. skills to help them, and myself, which I’ll be able to draw on if I need to in Antarctica.’ The former nurse and hospital coordinator has just returned from an 18 month posting Among her cultural challenges has been her to Saudi Arabia, where she was part of the experience in Saudi Arabia where she lived in a management team for a hospital providing 10 000 person expat compound that reminded healthcare to oil giant Aramco’s her of the movie The Truman Show (starring 350 000 employees. Jim Carey), with its perfect houses, gardens and fountains, its yoga studios, supermarkets, Prior to that Jenny spent 10 years working gyms and pools. But that’s where any in health management and as a remote area similarities with the West ended. nurse across small indigenous communities ‘Working in remote in the Northern Territory, South Australia and ‘If I went outside the compound I had to wear Torres Strait. an abaya and a head scarf and have a driver,’ areas I’ve learnt to Jenny said. She’s conducted clinics under trees and in cope with what gets outback dongas, attended births, deaths and ‘The labour force within the hospital also had car accidents, managed chronic illnesses, a mix of different standards, training and thrown at me and to travelled to far-flung communities by foot, language. To manage that I had to decide effectively prioritise troop-carrier and helicopter, and smoothed what was important to focus on and make relations between machete-wielding patients processes as simple as possible.’ what needs to be and their pilot. Jenny completed a Masters in Health Care done,’ Jenny said. ‘I’m Her experiences have set her in good stead to Administration while she was there, drawing lead her 14-strong team of Mawson men. on her experiences to write a thesis on how good at identifying culture and gender affect leadership styles. ‘Working in remote areas I’ve learnt to risks and hazards and cope with what gets thrown at me and to Fresh in her mind are also her learnings from mitigating them as effectively prioritise what needs to be done,’ the Australian Rural Leadership Program that Jenny said. she is completing on a scholarship. Her first much as possible.’ experience of the program was a trip to the ‘I’m good at identifying risks and hazards and Kimberly in Western Australia in May (2015) mitigating them as much as possible. with five other people, where they spent

This Picture Mawson station will be Jenny’s home for the next year. EXPEDITIONERS 29 2015 ISSUE AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN Chris Wilson 20 12 days being challenged to work 1. Jenny will miss her beloved dogs. 1 effectively as a team. 2. Jenny abseiling during the Australian ‘We were six strangers with Rural Leadership Program in the Kimberly. completely different backgrounds, 3. Jenny in her abaya and headscarf in Saudi ideas and world views,’ Jenny said. Arabia.

‘We were dropped in the bush with a 4. Jenny and her husband Will Johnson. facilitator who just observed how we worked together for the first 48 hours. ‘We had our electronic devices Antarctic team for the first time confiscated and we had to go night in November. caving, climb down waterfalls and ‘It’s critical we create a team vision and team walk through the bush in the middle goals, so we know who we are as a group and

Jenny Wressell of the night to find our tents, which we can define ourselves by a set of values that had been moved. Each day we had the team decides on,’ she said. to lead a portion of the day and then 2 provide and receive feedback on our ‘This will give us something to reflect back on leadership skills. if we run into trouble.’ ‘At the end of the 12 days I had some With this vision and her intuition and ability real strategies for how to manage to accept and reflect on feedback, Jenny is a team, how to bring it together confident the team will weather the dark and develop it. The experience put winter months and isolation. theory into practice and gave me the ‘I want the station to be a safe space where confidence to move forward into my people can express when they’re unhappy and Antarctic role.’ try to work through any problems,’ she said. Jenny said one of the most ‘My goal is to bring everyone back safely, and important things she has learned to help everyone to get their projects done about leading a team is the need for and have a good time.’ shared goals and values – an idea she implemented when she met her While she will miss her three dogs and her

Jenny Wressell rose garden, Jenny will be able to transport her other interests to Antarctica, include cross-stitch, yoga, 3 4 meditation and, if the hydroponics facility cooperates, making tomato chutney. She will also complete the Bachelor of Psychology she began three years ago. Although a ‘first-timer’ to Antarctica, Jenny is trying not to harbour any EXPEDITIONERS expectations for her own experience. As Station Leader she will have to manage other peoples’ expectations. However, she is hoping to visit the

emperor penguin colony and see 29 2015 an aurora. ISSUE ‘I saw my first and only aurora when I was about nine years old, living in Hobart, and from then on I wanted to see one in Antarctica,’ she said. As unpredictable as Antarctica is, it’s likely Jenny will get her wish.

WENDY PYPER Australian Antarctic Division AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN Will Johnson Jenny Wressell 21 Alex Rogers

This Picture Alex enjoys capturing cloud formations with his camera, including these mid- altitude altocumulus stratiformis clouds.

Expeditioner

capped off with another balloon flight at with an eye 6.00 pm. The winter season winds back to three-hourly observations, a balloon flight in the evening, a few hours of snow shovelling, ‘This is my first time to the sky and upper air ozone preparatory work. In between observations I fit in maintenance, in Antarctica and the repairs and upgrades as required. Being a sights, sounds and What’s it like to be a weather observer, with an eye ever to the sky, meteorologist in Antarctica? I certainly have developed a good feel for the experiences I have had local weather patterns. I think I could smell a We asked Davis station’s weather blizzard coming. since arriving, are poles

EXPEDITIONERS observer and meteorology The BoM has a lot of sensitive equipment apart from everyday technician, Alex Rogers. and instruments installed throughout the life in Australia. When Antarctic and it’s my role as technician to maintain, fault find and rectify any issues In Antarctica the weather observer is I first saw an iceberg, I that may crop up during normal operations. responsible for recording accurate weather We have weather instrumentation, hydrogen remember thinking how 29 2015 observations, launching the daily weather generation and storage equipment, ozone balloons, collecting atmospheric science staggeringly beautiful

ISSUE analysis gear, weather satellite receivers, and data and, at Davis, running the upper air an extensive networked system of remote ozone program. The data collected is used by frozen water can be. weather stations. My favourite phrase is forecasters, either at Davis or in Hobart, and is ‘have you tried turning it off then on again?’ The first Adélie penguins also collated as a climatological reference. Joking aside, you might find me climbing an running across the ice The weather is arguably one of the biggest anemometer tower, travelling to a remote impacts to daily operations in Antarctica weather station, drawing up some schematics also surprised me with and, along with our forecasters, the Bureau and, more often than not, with a snow shovel of Meteorology (BoM) works hard to offer in my hand on the balloon ramp. their speed and agility.’ accurate and objective advice. This is my first time in Antarctica and the The Antarctic summer flying season at Davis sights, sounds and experiences I have had

AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN is the busiest time of year for the observer. since arriving, are poles apart from everyday It features a 5.00 am balloon flight, followed life in Australia. When I first saw an iceberg, I 22 by half-hourly weather observations all day, remember thinking how staggeringly beautiful 1 3 Alex Rogers

2 Vicki Heinrich

While my original There is an amazing variety of things to do life plan was to go here in our spare time. I am a gym junkie and to the Moon or Mars, the gym manager, so I spend some time every Antarctica is the next day keeping fit. When the weather permits,

Alex Rogers best thing. It presents I walk across the sea ice to one of the local a landscape that is islands. I always take my camera as you never virtually untouched by know when the perfect shot will present itself. the effects of tourism, I am a regular in the hydroponics facility and features similar weather conditions to an frozen water can be. The first Adélie penguins where I can sit in some humidity and enjoy equatorial summer on Mars. running across the ice also surprised me with the greenery. Picking my favourite herbs I then their speed and agility. I love watching the changing weather and head for the kitchen where I love to whip up I must say I felt some trepidation towards the seasons here. I have observed extreme winds, something for smoko (morning tea) or a nice infamous mid-winter swim. After a quick dive, heavy snowfalls, amazing cloud arrangements, dessert. It’s an amazing community to live in a lap and a climb back up the ladder, the swim and of course the light shows in the night sky. and hard to find oneself bored. The challenge of finishing a complex project in was over before it began, and it is still one of If anything, spending time on the great white difficult Antarctic conditions is another part of my favourite memories from the year. continent has strengthened my beliefs in what makes this one of the best jobs on Earth. I never expected to end up in Antarctica. In my preserving the beauty and majesty of these youth I was fascinated with all things space In my experience the unexpected is to be pristine places around Earth. I have also expected in Antarctica. For example, living discovered an inner ‘zen’ and a bigger world

and technology, and in 2002 I discovered EXPEDITIONERS a degree at the University of New South and working amongst large wildlife means perspective from my time here; one which I Wales that I believed would suit my interests that sometimes there is no choice but to wait will carry with me for life. After spending a perfectly. Four years, and a few grey hairs for them to move along before you can finish year battling the ‘A-factor’ (Antarctic-factor) later, I graduated with a small class of a job. There is also the challenge of daylight I have learned that life does not need to be aerospace engineers. hours, from 24 hours a day to zero sunlight such a rush. Stop and smell the roses, or the

in the space of only six months. My body elephant seals in my case. Although, I would 29 2015 In my third year at university I developed an took some time to adapt to these changes, suggest the roses take preference. interest in biofuels, which led to my fourth but some excellent local tips on artificial light ISSUE year thesis on biodiesel use in aviation. I was made a world of difference. ALEX ROGERS fascinated by the concepts of renewable Meteorology Technician, Davis station 2015 energy, renewable fuels and recycling of waste Probably the most challenging aspect of my materials. When I finished my degree I picked job at Davis is scheduling a trip away from up a position in the middle of the biggest station. The BoM work strange hours and odd 1. Alex climbs an anemometer tower to biofuel project underway in Australia, which schedules, so we don’t always fit into everyone service the equipment, which is used happened to be in Tasmania. else’s holiday plans. My field trips have been to measure wind speed. the highlight of my time at Davis and they While in Tasmania I came across a job ad for often come with challenges, usually related 2. A stunning view from the living a meteorology technician in Antarctica with to weather. One in particular involved an quarters at Davis. the BoM. Having always had a fascination overnight vehicle dig-out at our skiway, which 3. Alex launches a weather balloon at with the weather and experience in electro- MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN was a very satisfying, yet tiring, adventure. least once a day. mechanical fault diagnosis, I applied. 23 Expeditions (ANARE) personnel. I thought the experience of having to change direction initially that there might have been three or when an Adélie penquin popped up through a Two- four, but now, thanks to emails and other hole in thin ice 50 m in front of me – and I was communication from past expeditioners, I’ve silly enough to move closer to take counted 32 between the years 1960 and 1980. a photo. wheeled In most cases the motorbikes were taken Others had similar stories. In 1970, Dave Parer, on down unofficially, with 17 going to Mawson, foot, broke through black sea ice when he and six to Davis, nine to Wilkes/Casey, and one Malcolm Robertson rode the 500 cc Matchless Antarctic to Macquarie Island. In 1947 Doctor Alan from Mawson to one of the outlying islands. As Gilchrist took an Indian to Heard Island, but Malcolm told it, getting him back onto ice sturdy the terrain proved too challenging for it enough to hold him was touch and go, and the adventures to be used very much. The first motorbikes ride back to the station in shared clothing was on the Antarctic continent were two 120 anything but pleasant. They didn’t tell anyone cc machines that had been donated to about the saga for 40 years. the 1949-52 Norwegian-British-Swedish For the past 18 months former Two riders lost their motorbikes through the sea Expedition to Dronning Maud Land by the ice, with the first being Don Seedsman in 1964, Antarctic expeditioner (Mawson, Husqvarna company. Charles Swithinbank, the out from Mawson. He was doing about 50 km/ 1960), oceanographer and youngest member of that expedition took the hr when his 150 cc Bantam broke through a motorbikes out of their crates and used one vintage motorbike enthusiast, frozen-over tide crack. for riding around and adapted the other to Dr George Cresswell, has been become a back-up generator for use on field ‘The 50 km/h forward inertia of my body corresponding with Antarctic trips with tracked vehicles. The Husqvarna deposited me on the far side of the hole, and Division staff and scores of that he rode had factory-fitted skis on both I only got one wet leg as I climbed out of the sides and these proved very useful. Charles crash-hole,’ Don said former expeditioners (from said that he managed to start the motorbike 1960-1980) to track down at temperatures as low as -46°C. It was an yarns and photos related to honour to exchange emails and photos with Charles before he died in early 2014. motorcycles at Australian 1 In 1960 we used the Velocette to explore stations. beyond Mawson station, usually on Sunday afternoons, and to tow skiers and dog sleds This story is the result of two events that were with two or three passengers. The speed was separated by 53 years. The first was when, exhilarating. Photos from later years and as a 22 year old, I rode my 350 cc Velocette the other continental stations record similar motorcycle to the Thala Dan, tied up alongside activities. The Velocette played a central the Melbourne docks in January 1960, and role in finding our DC3 Dakota, which had asked the ship’s Danish coxswain if he could broken its tie-down cables 20 km inland Jim Kitchenside load it on board for me. ‘No worries,’ he said, in a blizzard in December. The aircraft was ‘just drain the petrol out of it.’ And so the bike carried into crevasses high above the sea ice. went to Mawson, where it gave many of us a It was beyond recovery, but the motorbike lot of enjoyment when we rode it on the 2 and dog teams recovered navigational and sea ice. photographic equipment. The second event was in 2013 when Doug As one reads through the yarns sent by ANARE Farr of the Velocette Owners Club of Australia motorcyclists, one behavourial trait seems to asked me if I would give a talk to members recur: a belief that the sea ice in late spring at their annual get-together. That started me and early summer will support the rider and on a search for yarns and photos of other his machine, as it did all winter, even when it’s motorbikes that might have been taken south HISTORY obviously thin and even looking black. I had by Australian National Antarctic Research Roger Francey

1. George Cresswell on the Velocette, with 3 29 2015 Doug Machin and Viv Hill on the sea ice near Mawson. ISSUE 2. Don Seedsman and the Triumph 650 cc near Mawson in 1964. The bike was originally taken south by ‘Snow’ Williams in 1962.

3. The stricken Dakota high up in crevasses, west of Mawson in December 1960. The Velocette and dog teams were used to help rescue navigational and photographic equipment from the aircraft.

4. Bill Kellas and George Cresswell (on skis) AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN take the Velocette for a spin on Horseshoe Graham Dyke Graham

24 Harbour. ‘Luckily the cuffs on my trousers didn’t snag on the footpegs of the bike. I just had time to look around and see the tail-light disappearing into the water; everything 4 happened so quickly! ‘Phil Jacquemin came past on his locally-made ice yacht and offered me a lift back to base, which I readily accepted.’ The second loss was at Wilkes in 1965 when Mark Forecast was delivering fresh bread across the bay from Wilkes to REPSTAT (‘Replacement station’ which later became the old Casey station). ‘The bike lurched into a tide crack and I went over the handlebars. I was hanging onto them to prevent the Bantam from sinking and I could see blokes on the roof Rob Merrick of a new building looking at me, but they couldn’t do much to help. I hung on as long as I could, but eventually I could hang on no longer.’ His fellow expeditioner, John McKenzie, added that ‘Mark was wearing non-porous ‘The 50 km/h forward American thermal boots that he had left undone to reduce the perspiration effect inertia of my body and they flew off as the bike went in. He watched them fill up and sink and then ran two kilometres across the sea ice in his socks to Wilkes station’. deposited me on the Mark said the owners of the Bantam, Ken Shennan and Tony Warriner, ‘were far side of the hole, and understanding, telling me that I looked like a drowned rat and that it was my shout for beers’. I only got one wet leg A property of sea ice that many of us discovered independently was that when as I climbed out of the it is thin, say 10 cm, it is rubbery and will bend under a weight and even make crash-hole’ a wave as a motorbike moves across it. The account that I like most is when Bill Burch, who wintered at Wilkes in 1961, was riding on thin ice and saw a wave following him. ‘I remember that the only reasoning I was capable of at the time was to keep the throttle wide open, turn in a very wide arc for shore and look out for thicker ice to get home on. It seemed important to psyche myself to prepare for the machine to break through and to try to make as slow and as spread-eagled a descent to the ice as possible, in the hope I would not follow it through. After another mile or so – which felt like an eternity – the “bow wave” vanished and clearly both the bike and I made it back.’ In 1961 I sold the Velocette to the Mawson chef, Ted Giddings, and he made a sidecar using a wheelbarrow wheel. It This Picture was a great success, with sidecars being very common The BSA Bantam and sled beside an thereafter. In the company of a Snotrac, Ted returned iceberg near Wilkes, 1961. the roughly 100 km from Taylor Glacier in just a few hours. He towed a sled with tent, radio and food in case of problems. The use of motorcycles at the Antarctic Division stations seemed to come to an end in about 1980, possibly the result of quad bikes being taken to the stations officially, as well as a tightening of safety rules.

GEORGE CRESSWELL HISTORY ANARE 1960 29 2015 ISSUE AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN Bill Burch 25 Lost: Antarctic history etched in a bottle

Just before Mawson sailed from Hobart in December 1911 on the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE), he was presented with three bottles of Portugese Madeira by Mr John Young Buchanan. Buchanan was a chemist and one of the founders of modern oceanography and had recently completed a multi-year voyage on the HMS Challenger, taking in the Southern Ocean. He instructed Mawson to drink the wine at the traditional festival observed by all Antarctic expeditions – midwinter. Mawson handed one bottle to Frank Wild, the leader of the party going to the Western Base (now known as Queen Mary Land), and another to George Ainsworth who was to lead the small radio relay station party at Macquarie Island. The third was kept for the Main Base party that landed at Commonwealth Bay. One of Frank Wild’s team, Charles Harrisson, kept a detailed diary and he records the midwinter function of 1912 as follows: Hoadley, in the chair, gave ‘The King’. I had to propose ‘Dr Mawson and the AAE’ in a little speech. Jones, ‘Old Explorers’, Wild, ‘Mr Buchanan’. These last two toasts were drunk in ‘Madeira’, laid in by Mr Buchanan on the Challenger 40 years ago, and given by Mr Buchanan for us to drink on this day. Afterwards Dr Jones had all our signatures scratched on the bottle with his diamond, and I did a penguin on one side and a ship on the other. The bottle is to ‘ Hoadley, in the chair, gave be returned to Mr. Buchanan. ‘The King’. I had to propose ‘Dr Harrisson was the artist of the party and it seems there was some Mawson and the AAE’ in a little pressure for possession of this ‘souvenir’ of the occasion. That was when Wild intervened and declared the bottle would be returned to speech. Jones, ‘Old Explorers’, the original donor of its contents. It would appear that Morton Moyes then grabbed one of the other standard wine bottles, and had the eight Wild, ‘Mr Buchanan’. These last names etched onto it with Jones’ diamond. two toasts were drunk in Nothing more is known about either bottle until two totally conflicting ‘Madeira’, laid in by Mr reports appear 15 years later on the same day in newspapers 1000 km apart. On May 24 1927 one story appeared in the Mt Gambier- HISTORY Buchanan on the Challenger based Border Watch, claiming a bottle with the words ‘Shackleton Glacier, 22 June 1912’ and eight names engraved on it, was found 40 years ago, and given by on Tuggerah Beach in New South Wales (NSW) by a local resident, Mr Buchanan for us to drink George Bressington. The story goes on to relate the find to the loss of SY Aurora with all hands in 1917 off the NSW coast, and presumes the on this day. Afterwards Dr 29 2015 bottle was from the wreck and was washed up by the tides. Jones had all our signatures

ISSUE The second story was published in the Barrier Miner in Broken Hill, and relates that the bottle was picked out by a worker at the NSW scratched on the bottle with bottle works in Ultimo, Sydney, and handed to his supervisor, George his diamond, and I did a Bressington, in 1917, telling him it had come from an unknown boat. Bressington thought it might be of special value, but did not make penguin on one side and a ship the Antarctic connection. He took it home and stashed it away in a cupboard for the next 10 years. on the other. The bottle is to be The timing of some of the anecdotes surrounding subsequent returned to Mr. Buchanan. ‘ confirmation of the bottle’s identity is a bit vague, but what is critical is that Sir Douglas Mawson read the story of the beach find of the bottle, doubted its authenticity, and wrote to George Bressington asking him

AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN if he would take it to the Mitchell Library in Sydney. There, the former 26 1 3 4 AAE AAE

Adelaide University librarian, could set about Despite strong support and cooperation from AAE validating it. Bressington took the bottle in George Bressington’s and Andy Watson’s and a library assistant wrote a note from an descendents, the Mitchell Library staff, and interview with him, testifying that the bottle inquires to other possible repositories, no trace 2 was handed in originally at the bottle works in of the bottle has since been found. Ultimo, ‘in 1917 or 1918’. W.M. (BILL) BURCH It transpires that the expedition’s ship, Aurora, Bill was a geophysicist at Wilkes station in had been undergoing major structural repairs 1961 and went ashore at Commonwealth in the Jubilee dry dock in Balmain, not far from Bay in January 1962. If you have any Ultimo, in May 1917, having been recently sold information on the whereabouts of the for use as a coal freighter. No doubt, as part bottle he can be contacted through the of the new owner’s function, it was cleaned, Australian Antarctic Magazine so it is entirely credible that empty bottles left [email protected]. on board would be taken to a bottle recycling facility nearby. Mawson no doubt lost interest in the bottle after that, as there remains only a confirmation 1. A bottle of Portugese Madeira – that Bressington reclaimed the bottle from possibly one of the bottles on this the library. But one of the signatories on it, table – was signed by members of A.D. (Andy) Watson, who was then (1927) the Western Base party during the Headmaster of the North Sydney Boys High midwinter dinner (pictured) in 1912.

School, made arrangements to view it. L-R (behind): Hoadley, Dovers, Watson, HISTORY AAE The trail remains cold until 1932, when one Harrisson, Wild, (front) Jones, Moyes, of the Main Base Party, John Collison Close, Kennedy. decided to try and find the bottle and have it 2. Did Mawson’s former Deputy, Morton recognised as an historic icon. He contacted Moyes, take final responsibility for the

George Bressington, who by then was an historic bottle? 29 2015 Alderman at Homebush, and went to see the

bottle in the Homebush chambers, confirming 3. The Western Base party on their ISSUE that it had the eight names clearly engraved on return from Antarctica in 1913. L-R: it. After liaising with Mawson, Close decided Harrisson, Watson, Dovers, Moyes, that the person who should take charge of its Kennedy, Jones, Wild, Hoadley. ultimate fate was Mawson’s former Deputy, 4. John Collison Close – Assistant and also one of the signatories, Morton Henry Collector with the Main Base Party – Moyes. Close wrote to the Mitchell librarian to wanted the bottle recognised as an that effect on 27th April 1932. historic item. AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN 27 Commemorating Antarctic ANZACs

In this centenary of the 1 Gallipoli Campaign, where the Great War ANZAC† legend was born, the ANARE Club* has ANARE Club researched and recorded the names of 12 Australian and New Zealand expeditioners who served in the ‘Heroic Age of Antarctic Expeditions’ and who subsequently lost their lives in the First World War. The club commissioned and presented a Memorial Board in honour of these men to the Australian Antarctic Division, which is now on display at the Division’s Lincoln moved to a ‘ship of the desert’, in the headquarters in Kingston, Camel Corps. Blake switched from geology to gunnery and Bage from astronomy to Tasmania. 1. The Memorial Board commissioned engineering. Dennistoun went from caring by the ANARE Club is now on display for ponies to flying. Clearly, adaptability was a at the Australian Antarctic Division. The Heroic Age expeditions and their quest characteristic of those early expeditioners! to reach the South Pole captured the public’s Able Seaman William Knowles was the first to imagination in the early years of the 20th die. He was part of a small naval raiding party Century. With the outbreak of the Great War that landed on the Turkish coast in February (1914–18), most of the men who were part of 1915. Ambushed and forced to retire, Knowles William Kavanagh, who had served on these expeditions signed up and paid a terrible succumbed to his wounds back on board Shackleton’s Imperial Trans Antarctic price for their patriotism. HMS Philomel. Expedition (ITAE) and the Aurora Relief, The names of the 12 Australian and New was invalided home as a result of wounds Captain Robert Bage, Mawson’s astronomer Zealand expeditioners who served either as and disabilities. He succumbed to post-war and magnetician, was killed at Gallipoli members of a land party or manned the ships, influenza, as did Captain Archibald McLean, obeying an order that was questionable. and who lost their lives in the Great War who had been twice gassed. have been recorded. While their names are Lieutenant James Dennistoun, in charge of the All these men had survived the dangers of usually listed on honour boards in their home ponies with Scott’s second expedition, joined the Antarctic yet cheerfully volunteered for towns or districts across Australia and New the Royal Flying Corps as an observer. He was HISTORY the higher risk of the battlefield. They did so Zealand, their association with the Antarctic shot down and severely wounded in June that the world might be a better place, and expeditions has been lost with the passage 1916 and died of his wounds whilst a POW on it is most appropriate that their sacrifice be of time. August 9, 1916; the same day Leonard Pettit commemorated at the Australian Antarctic was killed in France. Later that year Joseph To address this, the Memorial Board honours Division, the modern home of Australia’s Hancock died of his wounds in France. those men who were part of the Australasian Antarctic endeavour. 29 2015 Antarctic Expedition 1911–14 and/or the In 1917 Francis Desmond was killed-in-action Shackleton, dedicating his account of the

ISSUE Aurora Relief Expedition 1916–17; or had at Messines Ridge and Harry Coombe was ITAE, has provided the appropriate words to served on an earlier expedition and were killed at Westhock Ridge. They had served describe this memorial: either born in Australia or New Zealand or together on the SY Aurora, which was herself born elsewhere and enlisted in the Australian lost that year with ‘Scottie’ Paton on board To my comrades who fell in the white warfare or New Zealand armed forces. (the most experienced sailor of the heroic of the south and on the red fields of France age), possibly sunk by mines from the German and Flanders. The mens’ fates roughly reflect the raider Wolf. involvement of Australia and New Zealand Lest we Forget. in the Great War – one died at Gallipoli, five Bertrum Lincoln was killed in Jordan in 1918 on the Western Front, one in Germany, two and is commemorated on the Jerusalem HERBERT DARTNALL, DAVID DODD at sea, one in the Middle East, and two at memorial. Captain Leslie Blake, who had and JOE JOHNSON home. It is also interesting to see the military mapped Macquarie Island, died of his wounds ANARE Club

AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN skills to which they turned their hands – six a little more than a month before the †ANZAC – Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. of the eight sailors chose to serve in the Armistice, almost certainly from friendly fire; 28 Australian Imperial Force or the New Zealand described officially and euphemistically as ‘by *ANARE Club – Australian National Antarctic Expeditionary Force rather than at sea. a stray shell’. Research Expeditions Club. Ice in your 1 paintbrush

Ice in your veins. It’s a term well-known by those who’ve been to Antarctica, portraying the hold the icy continent can have over people. But ice in your paintbrush…your microphone…your sketchbook? Far from being a one-off artist’s residency, the Antarctic Arts Fellow’s experience is often one that ignites an ongoing Simon Cuthbert passion, sparks a new direction, and which has personal and professional impacts that reach 2 beyond their expectations.

Lisa Roberts’ 2002 Fellowship inspired her to pursue a PhD investigating the use of animation in combining scientific data and subjective responses to the environment. Dr Roberts subsequently initiated the Living Data program at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), which she said aims to highlight understandings shared between scientists and artists. ‘My Antarctic experience inspired a passion to make climate change visible. Some of my ongoing work is developing the Oceanic Living Data installation which, like a scientific model, evolves to reflect new knowledge. Unlike a scientific model, this installation can be touched. You can move through it and feel part of it,’ Dr Roberts said.

In June last year she received the inaugural Frankel Barbara ART ANTARCTIC 12-month C3 Creative Fellowship at the UTS which she used to develop an exhibition in collaboration with UTS and Australian Antarctic Division scientists. Her work has ‘As I have spent big chunks of time in been shown at events in Hobart, Buenos Aires, both these landscapes they had to join up Sydney and Melbourne. somehow,’ he said. 29 2015

Stephen Eastaugh has definitely had ice in his Over the past year, some of Mr Eastaugh’s ISSUE paintbrush, with six Antarctic trips under his Antarctic works have featured in exhibitions belt. Mr Eastaugh’s first visit to Antarctica in in Melbourne, Broome, Amsterdam, St 2000 led him to seek opportunities to travel Petersburg, and Hong Kong. south again almost every year after that, culminating in an over-winter Arts Fellowship Favel Parrett travelled on Aurora Australis 1. Artist John Kelly (right) talks about at Mawson station in 2009. During that year for her 2012 Fellowship to research her novel his Arts Fellowship experience at he produced over 350 artworks and wrote When the Night Comes, based around the ship the opening of an exhibition at the an artist’s travelogue. While he continues to Nella Dan. As the character in her book is the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in travel and live around the world, Antarctica ship’s cook, Ms Parrett asked to be allowed June this year. to work. She helped the crew in the kitchen, remains part of his work. Mr Eastaugh said 2. John Kelly painting the field huts on some recent pieces he created in Broome mopping decks, and with many other jobs.

Béchervaise Island near Mawson. MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN marry nacreous clouds and floating boulders ‘It was the greatest trip of my life and I seen near Mawson station, with the “very couldn’t have written the book without it,’ 29 Broome” medium of the pearl shell. she said. Since the launch of her book last year, Ms Parrett has appeared at writers’ festivals and bookshops across Australia, and her book is now published in four countries. ‘After five years of 2013 Arts Fellow, John Kelly, has held many exhibitions of his Antarctic works in London, New developing various York, Miami, San Francisco and Dublin, and published a book, Beyond Woop Woop, featuring the projects from my series of works and essays he created during his Fellowship, along with photography by some of his fellow expeditioners. He also held a major exhibition at the Tasmanian Museum and Art initial foray into the Gallery, which will travel to Ireland in 2016. region I began to think Sound artist Philip Samartzis is this year’s Arts Fellow, travelling to Casey station in January. Dr Samartzis was awarded a Fellowship in 2009, which he said had an enormous impact on his arts about the new types practice and his sense of self and the world. In the years following, Antarctica has been a focus of experiences and of his work, with journal articles, book chapters, a book, radio commissions, performances and exhibitions in conferences, solo and group exhibitions and festivals across the globe. observations I could ‘After five years of developing various projects from my initial foray into the region I began to convey through a think about the new types of experiences and observations I could convey through a new body of work,’ Dr Samartzis said. new body of work.’ ‘With recent advances in sound recording technology I saw an opportunity to render vivid new experiences of Antarctica, particularly weather events, which are often difficult to capture due to their extreme nature. I also want to connect my fieldwork with archival research of polar weather records to create a link between past and present.’ Now in its 30th year, the Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship looks set to offer inspiration to artists for many years to come.

KRISTIN RAW Program Manager, Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship

This Picture This artwork by Stephen Eastaugh combines his Antarctic experiences with northern Australian pearl shells. ANTARCTIC ARTANTARCTIC 29 2015 ISSUE AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN 30 Stephen Eastaugh New Australian Antarctic Division Director

Dr Nick Gales took up the position of Director of the Australian Antarctic program in 2014. Dr Gales was Division in August. also responsible for developing David Parer the Australian Marine Mammal Dr Gales was the former Chief Scientist of both the Antarctic Division Centre at the Antarctic Division and the Department of the Environment. He has worked in a scientific in 2006, which acts as a role at the Division since 2001 and as a member of the Executive central point for researchers in since 2012. the Australasian region to seek Prior to joining the Antarctic Division in 2001, Dr Gales worked as a funding and collaborate on vet, completed a PhD on Australian sea lions, and ran marine mammal marine mammal research that research programs for the Western Australian and New Zealand informs policy. governments (Australian Antarctic Magazine 23: 1-3, 2012). In the late In 2011 Dr Gales was appointed 1980s he spent two and a half years working as a biologist on elephant Chief Scientist and focused seals and penguins at Heard Island and Davis station. his attention on shaping and As a senior research scientist at the Antarctic Division, Dr Gales delivering a high impact and efficient Antarctic science program. He sits developed a marine mammal program for the Southern Ocean, which on several Boards and a wide range of international science committees. provided scientific data and advice to inform the Convention for the As Director, Dr Gales will support Government in its delivery of a 20 Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. He developed year strategic plan for Antarctica, and finalise the acquisition of a new a similar science delivery model for the International Whaling icebreaking research vessel, scheduled for completion in 2019. Commission, through its Scientific Committee; a role that culminated in him acting as a witness for Australia in the successful International Read more about Dr Gales’ vision for Australia’s Antarctic future on Court of Justice finding against Japan’s Southern Ocean whaling page 1.

to take part in education and community outreach The ‘Tall Poppy’ of programs. marine science modeling ‘Probably the biggest buzz I get from the work I do is communicating my research and I strongly believe that it Ecological modeller Dr Jess Melbourne-Thomas has been is a fundamental component of our role as scientists,’ Dr named Tasmania’s Young Tall Poppy Scientist of the Year Melbourne-Thomas said. for her work in communicating science. Dr Melbourne-Thomas’ research uses ecosystem models Dr Melbourne-Thomas, who works at the Australian to simulate and test different management strategies Antarctic Division and Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems and to help determine what’s driving change in Cooperative Research Centre, received the prestigious particular components of the ecosystem. These results award in September at the Australian Institute of Policy can then inform where and how to best coordinate and and Science Young Tall Poppy Awards ceremony. invest in further research and monitoring. The awards recognise and celebrate the achievements For more information on the Tall Poppies awards visit of Australia’s young scientific researchers and www.aips.net.au/tall-poppies/tall-poppy-campaign/. Expeditioner photo communicators. The award winners are encouraged IN BRIEF IN Phillip Law Medal 2015

The former Head of Polar Medicine at the Dr Lugg left the Australian Antarctic Division Australian Antarctic Division, Dr Desmond in June 2001 to take up a prestigious position

Lugg, was awarded the prestigious Phillip Law with the US National Aeronautics and Space 29 2015 Medal during midwinter celebrations in Hobart Administration (NASA), where he worked for six

in June this year. years (Australian Antarctic Magazine 2: 2001). ISSUE The award, convened by the Australian Dr Lugg was awarded the Polar Medal in 1969, National Antarctic Research Expeditions made a Member of the Order of Australia in (ANARE) Club, recognises an individual who 1984, and was awarded a Centenary Medal and has made an outstanding contribution to the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal in Antarctic affairs and the Antarctic community. 2006. He is the author of a formidable array of scientific papers and is currently working on a Dr Lugg joined the Australian Antarctic history of Australian Antarctic medical practice. Division as a Medical Officer at Davis station in 1962-64, before returning to head the ANARE Club Polar Medicine unit for 33 years, from 1968 to www.anareclub.org/web/pl-medal/pl-2015- 2001. During this time he also led two summer lugg.php parties in the Prince Charles Mountains in MAGAZINE ANTARCTIC AUSTRALIAN the 1970s, and an International Biomedical 31 David Parer Expedition to Antarctica in 1980-81. 32 AUSTRALIAN ANTARCTIC MAGAZINE ISSUE 29 2015 IN BRIEF • Key achievementsforAustralia included: agreement ontheEastAntarctic MarineProtected Area proposal. Protected Area proposal, whichwehopewillbeacatalysttoseeking indicated itswillingnesstoprogress theRossSeaRegionMarine not beachievedontheproposal, importantprogress wasmade. China marine protected area inEastAntarctica. Althoughconsensuscould One ofthekeyinitiativesforAustralia againwastheproposal fora organisations andstateterritorygovernments. from theAustralian fishingindustry, environmental non-government officers from across theAustralian Governmentand representatives Director oftheAustralian Antarctic Division,DrNickGales, andincluded from 19–30October2015. TheAustralian delegationwasledbythe of Antarctic MarineLivingResources (CCAMLR)washeldinHobart The 34thannualmeetingoftheCommissionforConservation meeting CCAMLR on theK-Axis,page2). science voyageinearly2016 (seeSpotlight benefit. TheseincludetheK-axis marine projects andscientificteamswillalso partnership, whileanumberofexisting scientists havebeenemployedunderthe Fourteen nationalandinternational University ofTasmania. Australian Antarctic Division,CSIROand partnership isacollaboration betweenthe The three-year, federally funded science andgetmore scientists ontheice. leader inAntarctic andSouthern Ocean to consolidateTasmania’s placeasaglobal Partnership, launchedon1October, aims The $24millionAntarctic Gateway Antarctic Gatewaylaunch Antarctic

AAD change considerations intotheworkofCommission. advice andrecommendations onhowtointegrate climate a climatechangefocusedgroup toprovide informationanddevelop Agreement toajointproposal byAustralia andNorwaytoestablish au/antarctic-gateway-partnership/home. partnership seehttp://www.imas.utas.edu. For more informationabout the interactions andpolar marinetechnology. sea-ice foodwebs, solid earth–ice sheet shelf andoceaninteractions, marineand The partnership willfund research intoice- Conservation award Conservation CCAMLR’s 34thmeetinginHobartOctober. Warner, AM,attheopeningsessionof Excellency Professor theHonourable Kate of servicebytheGovernorTasmania, Her were presented withawards for30-plusyears Dr Constableandsixinternationalcolleagues Marine LivingResources (CCAMLR). Commission fortheConservationofAntarctic been recognised for30years ofservicetothe marine ecologist,DrAndrew Constable,has Australian Antarctic Divisionquantitative • • • finfish bycatchandseabird mitigationmeasures. McDonald Islandstoothfishfisheryandendorsement ofassociated Securing abiennialstockassessmentfortheHeard Islandand management system. in thefisheryandcontinuingnegotiationsondevelopingafeedback of thekrillfisherywithdiscussiononincreasing observercoverage continued itsworkontheorderly andprecautionary development The Commission capacity. and institutional legal, operational strengthening to portsand catch, access transhipping of landing and prohibition of Parties include by Contracting Actions calledfor Nationality. on Vessels Agreement toa www.antarctica.gov.au/news/antarctic-insider newsletter Antarctic Insider and activitiesinAntarctic withouronline Keep uptodatewiththelatestnews, events Newsletter Antarctic https://storify.com/AusAntarctic. conversation form at the public.You canviewthetweetsin Twitter, andanswered questionsfrom shared storiesof work andadventure on scientists, expeditioners andcommunicators year’s NationalScience Week. Antarctic back itspopular‘IcyTweets’ series forthis The Australian Antarctic Divisionbrought Science Week National marine ecosystems. understanding theimplicationsofchangein fisheries, theconservationofbiodiversity, and to assistinecosystem-basedmanagementof Dr Constablehasusedhisscientificknowledge resolution without . AAD Freeze Frame This photo was taken with a Sony CyberShot point and shoot that I keep with me no matter what Doug McVeigh is a Supervising Communications Technical Officer responsible for all satellite, LAN, the weather. The Red Shed, at Casey, on this particular day seemed totally different from how I had radio and other communications and science equipment on station. He has wintered at all four seen it before. It had a magical view about it, with the way the snow clung to the shed and the Antarctic and subantarctic stations and summered at various times as well. He has been part of the contrast of the red showing in places on the structure. The landscape, weather conditions and every fire and search and rescue teams, and the lay medical teams, and is heavily involved in science work other aspect of Antarctica is different from one minute to the next, and if one does not capture the during winter – including sea ice monitoring, penguin camera maintenance, remediation activities moment at the time, the opportunity is unlikely to happen again. I just admired the beauty that was before me at the time and then took the photo to capture this memory. GORDON TAIT and lake sampling. ANTARCTICA valued, protected and understood

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