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We reach the station full of
plans and enthusiasm only to be met by a gray sky and temperatures dipping
to almost -50oC. By nightfall the techs alert us to a major problem.
The pumps that draw seawater into our huge Plexi glass incubators and thus
maintain water temperatures are sucking ice and slush and our incubators could
freeze and break. The entire contingent goes on hourly ice watch duty. This
means scraping ice off the huge tanks and keeping the water flowing. But the
tanks are outside on the deck so it also means braving -50oC
temperatures, nasty winds and hands in freezing water at 2 am. I am
totally useless my arms arent strong enough to scrape the monstrous tanks
some of which are standing 4 feet off the ground, my plumbing skills are
nonexistent so I cant figure out which pipes to connect or disconnect. I am
left holding a hair drier in my hand. Then I get hold of a butterfly net and
sieve the large chunks of ice from the tank. At least now I look busy.
Everywhere I hear Get this one or We are losing that one - its like
being in an emergency ward after a disaster. Not even the Emperor penguins
dozing off on a floe can cheer the sleep deprived scientists. By day the sun
melts a bit of the ice and we are given respite from ice watch. No one can
figure out what to do. Then fortune smiles on us this station has no
phytoplankton, the little photosynthetic organisms we are looking for. We are
too early in the season. Phytoplankton need to be in the upper well lit portion
of the water column so they can photosynthesize, grow and supply food to the
rest of the food chain. With strong winds, the water is being churned and they
are being buffeted all over the water column. Its not the best of situations
when you are a microscopic creature with no motion of your own. We move on to
greener pastures.
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