Each season, there are several science groups in McMurdo studying the fauna of our region. These studies focus on seals, penguins and whales and also encompass several long-running projects researching life in the ocean below the surface of the ice. The sea water here is about -1.6 degrees C /28 F. In order to collect specimens for study, the scientists and their graduate assistants either employ the services of a professional diver (see post with video from ocean videographer, Henry Kaiser,
here) or they go fishing.
Fish groups travel over the sea ice in a tracked vehicle, called a Pisten Bully, to their fishing hole. These fishing holes are often created using a long drill (manually-operated) with a 3-foot long flight. Sometimes, a much larger hole is cut with a giant, mechanized drill and a small hut is placed over it for the warmth and wind protection for the science group and divers. My friend, Dan, is a fish scientist and his blog postings will give you a very good idea of what fishing in Antarctica is like:
http://hassumaniantarctica.blogspot.com/2011/10/saturday-october-22-2011.html
Fishing groups and divers bring their catch back to the aquarium for further study. The community gets to look at these creatures during the weekly tour of the Crary Lab or, for those of us lucky enough to play music with a fish scientist....one evening after work. Here are some pictures from the touch tank and from the fish tanks.
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| Various fish and stars |
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| Brittle star |
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| Lice |
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| Crinoid |
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| Antarctic Toothfish - Mawsoni - Antarctic Cod - Chilean Sea Bass - whatever you call it, it is overfished |
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| This one is 85 pounds/39 kilos - a small one. The biggest adult toothfish can reach 330 pounds/150 kilos. |
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| Octopus |
The octopus isn't the subject of its own study but it was very cool to see. Here the scientist is giving us an up-close view. Apparently, octopi are very intelligent. Last year, the octopus they were keeping in the aquarium found a way to get out of its tank, walk across the lab and hop into the touch tank for a snack. The night janitor found him on the floor on his way back to his tank. this year, they have fashioned a heavy lid for the octopus tank.
If you want to learn more about the Antarctic Toothfish/Chilean Sea Bass/
Dissostichus mawsoni, please take a look at the
Last Ocean website or watch the Last Ocean documentary.
