The Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division (AERD) successfully opened its two field camps, Copacabana and Cape Shirreff, for the 2009/10 field season of the Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) Program on October 18, 2009. This is the 24^th AMLR field season conducted in the South Shetland Islands since the inception of the program.

    The field season will continue through the austral summer, until the closing of the camps in March of 2010. Each AMLR field season consists of two components:

• Predator studies, conducted from two field camps in the South Shetland Islands, monitor the breeding biology, foraging ecology and recruitment success of the largest predator populations in the South Shetland Islands: Adelie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins, as well as Antarctic fur seals.
• Oceanographic research, as well as studies of primary productivity and the zooplankton community composition, take place aboard a vessel between January and March. At-sea distribution of marine mammals and seabirds are also monitored aboard-ship.

    This season, the public will be able to follow along with AERD scientists as they collect data on the movements of Antarctic predators. Each week beginning in March of 2010, the latest transmissions from the tagged animals will be uploaded onto our South Shetland Islands Google Map (see right - coming soon), where everyone will be able to follow the movements of these animals as they search for food and shelter throughout the winter. Check back often for more information!    

   Use the upper-left menu to access weekly reports of the progress of each of the components of the AMLR Program and follow along with the 24th U.S. AMLR field season.

Venturing into the Ice - Winter Studies

    This year, the AERD will augment its research activities to include an over-winter tagging study. Sixty penguins and pinnipeds (Antarctic fur seals, Weddell seals, and Southern Elephant seals) will be tagged and followed via satellite throughout the winter of 2010. The tags will transmit data back to the AERD that describe oceanographic characteristics at the foraging location of each animal.

    AERD scientists have used 24 years of consistent, thorough data collection to document changes in the ecosystem, from water temperature through primary production to krill and predator abundances, as can be observed during the austral summer. Now, by collecting data during the winter, AERD scientists can track changes in the winter eosystem as well as winter movements in predators, and determine how that affects populations that breed near the Antarctic Peninsula.