The Antarctic Peninsula's west coast is warming 6-7 times faster than the average global rate, making it the fastest winter-warming place on the planet. How is this important sea ice ecosystem - home to humpback whales, Adelie penguins, Antarctic krill, and countless microbes - responding to this dramatic climate-driven shift?

As a field team member with Palmer LTER, I participated in the annual oceanographic sampling cruise for an ongoing time-series study of the polar, pelagic marine ecosystem near the West Antarctic Peninsula. Over the course of six weeks at sea, I collected water column samples and processed them for carbon cycle & macronutrient analyses. I also measured particle export, assisted in the recovery & redeployment of their moored sediment trap, and measured bacterial abundance & production to evaluate regional microbial activity. Follow the link below to learn more about recent findings and the science objectives of Palmer LTER.