2013 U.S. AMLR Field Season
27th AMLR Field Season Continues to Examine Summer and Winter Ecosystem Processes
The 27th field season of the U.S. Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) Program began 14 October 2012, with the opening of the Copacabana Field Station on King George Island. Consistent with the historical research conducted by the Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division (AERD), land-based field research consists of five to six months of predator studies at two field stations in the South Shetland Islands. The Cape Shirreff Field Station on Livingston Island opened on 8 November 2012.
The oceanographic field research component of the AMLR Program, scheduled to take place in August 2013, will be the second consecutive winter survey conducted by the AMLR Program. The 2012 AMLR winter survey was an important learning experience for conducting science in harsh, icy environments, and AERD scientists are looking forward to future winter surveys to build on the knowledge gained and data collected this past August.
Weekly progress reports from the field stations can be found on this page under the menu to the left. Follow the Adelie, chinstrap, and gentoo penguins as they tend to their eggs and provision for their chicks, and follow the Antarctic fur seal moms as they give birth to and nurse their pups. Later in the season, check back to learn more about leopard seals as researchers follow their movements and investigate their diets.
In addition to our summer land-based field studies, the AERD is currently collaborating with German and Peruvian Antarctic research programs to collect summer ecosystem data on krill biomass and zooplankton distribution and abundance in the area around the South Shetland Islands. Please visit our new webpage for more information and weekly cruise reports from our international collaborations.
Logistical support for U.S. AMLR field camps and oceanographic cruises is provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation through the U.S. Antarctic Program.
AMLR 2011-12 Tracking Map
Join the AMLR team as they track animals on their summer foraging trips, and follow the oceanographic team on its survey of the South Shetland Islands pelagic ecosystem in January and February. The below map will be updated as data is available, so check back for the latest position of our team and our tracked animals!