Some outcome..

Hey all! I don't even know if anybody is continuing to look on this site. But here is somethin new.. finally!
The first thing:
On the cruise I prepared a poster. For those who are not into life-science habits:
Posters are one of at least three different way to publish results of the research you do. It is a very short and superficial way and it takes relativly long to make it. Posters are exposed on conferences and if you are lucky and included some eye-catching graphy or pictures, you can provoke diskussions and it is a productive thing in the name of science. This poster was prepared by me and some coworkers for an international meeting on Antarctic research with the german federal minister for education and research, Dr. Anette Schavan, on board FS “POLARSTERN” in Cape Town, South Africa. But it was also exposed on the SCAR/IASC IPY Open Science Conference in St. Petersburg, Russia. It is not the typical poster you can expect from a scientist, as it free of any text. Why? Yopu can see the poster and read the short introduction here.

And there is some more new stuff: I started a second blog. It has not much to do with Antarctica but with crustaceans and invertebrates in general. I'd like to encourage some people to chat and discuss about taxonomic and phylogenetic riddles and enigmas of today. So I started a blog telling about my adventures of reading a book called "Spezielle Zoologie". I don't know where it will end up.. but I hope to find some people that are not bored to death.
Cheers..

Back home

Hi!
I am back in Germany. And it is good to be back, though this cruise was a big adventure and I would go again, if I had the chance.
It is very nice, to see some friends again, to smell the humid soil, the trees, to listen to the first calling birds of the coming breeding season, to see the first flowers. My cockroaches have got offspring, my daphniids, copepods and isopods are still alive - thanks to my mother who took care of all that. I have already prepared some chilli and other seeds for my little hot and spicy garden. The next time i will spend sorting out my pictures, having a course at the university and arriving mentally.
Some more pictures of "Polarstern", the ocean and antarctic wildlife will be posted on my picasa webalbum. So have a look, if you like!
Cheers.. Torben

Heading towards Cape Town

The cruise ANTXXIV-2 is almost over. From January 27th to January 31st we were facing a quite strong low-pressure system and "Polarstern" fought against wind-speed peaks up to 10bft. Waves increased to a mean of 8m, meaning that every now and then it was quite rolling on board.

Unfortunately, this was the time for our last station work. On Sunday, 27th, we deployed the EBS for the last time on this cruise and we had to hurry. While we retrieved it, storm was increasing dramatically and the final heaving and bringing META on deck was dangerous and hard work for the deck crew. Unfortunately, samples contained almost nothing and we do not know if this reflects reality on the sea floor or if it was a consequence of the storm. Due to the storm all groups had to cut down their station plan to a minimum and we had no time left for deploying the trawl. This was done two days later, on the 29th. Again, it took some hours to deploy and retrieve the gear and when it came on deck – still in a quite stormy situation – the net was completely empty. There is a theory, that the fine meshed inner net was sucked out to the opening during the heaving th rough 4000m water column by the ship's up and down
movement. But nobody knows really. Everything was washed out. No single feather star or sponge was attached to the nets. Nothing! In the little "Rauschert Dredge", which was attached to the trawl, at least a spoon full of sediment with foraminiferans and some amphipods was found. It was frustrating.
At the same time we already had to begin packing our boxes and the container. Meta was dismantled immediately after the last station. Tools and screws had to be cleaned from salt water, laboratories and cooling containers had to be cleaned and also the public rooms, like "Zillertal", the gym and sauna and the computer room.

Due to the immense ice cover of the Weddell Sea and especially the Atka Bay this summer and the logistics support for the German polar research stations, a lot of time got lost for science on board. Therefore the scientific value of this cruise is not as high as hoped for some groups.
But nevertheless, we got data to work with and some results. For me and most others it was amazing! I learned a lot due to practical work, the daily seminar and lots of fruitful discussions. The ship is a "hotspot" of knowledge about the marine environment and it is very valuable to know some new people, everyone an expert in his science.
This cruise also was "over the top" regarding to tourist attractions. I am referring to the time spent for supplying "Neumayer II" and the icebreaking for "Neumayer III" and "Naja Arctica" on the one hand, but also icebergs, storms and some numbers of whales we saw during the cruise.
Now we left the Greenwich Meridian and head to the north-east, back to Cape Town. Air and water temperature is above +16°C and like summer in Germany. We will reach South Africa the day after tomorrow and I will spend only one additional night there. As apples are the only fresh fruit and cabbage is the only fresh vegetable left on board I am really looking forward to green salad and such things.
We are writing cruise reports, create data backup. The last days we were also busy preparing scientific presentations and posters comprising results of our science and this particular cruise. The day when I am flying back to Frankfurt, there will be a big event on the ship with a
reception for the German minister for science and education A. Schavan. This is due to the 25th anniversary of "Polarstern". Tonight there will be a farewell barbecue on the working deck with
scientists, officers and crew. Wind speed and wave height have decreased. Perfect weather for some recreation! I am really looking forward to see you all again! Soon!
Yours, Torben

Auf Wiedersehen "Neumayer II"!

Mittwoch, 16. Januar
Auf Wiedersehen, "Neumayer II"!
Seit ca. zwei Wochen war die "Polarstern" dabei, gegen eine unnahbare Festung aus Eis zu kämpfen, und wenig Fortschritt zeigte sich Tag für Tag. Die Wissenschaftler an Bord dieses Forschungseisbrechers entwickelten langsam Unmut. Einige Stationen waren sowieso schon verloren gegangen, als wir zum zweiten Mal in die Atka-Bucht gerufen wurden. Nun schien es noch am Montagnachmittag, als ob das Ziel in weiter Ferne läge. Mitten in der Nacht zum Dienstag, gegen 02:00 Uhr näherte sich die Geburtstagsfeier zweier Mitglieder der Wissenschaft und eines Helikoptertechnikers langsam dem Ende. Unverhofft wurde auf einmal die erfreuliche Nachricht in das „Zillertal", die Bord-Bar der "Polarstern" getragen, die Polarstern habe die Schelfeiskante erreicht. Ich konnte es nicht glauben! Nach einigem Zögern bin ich in meinen Polaranzug geschlüpft und an Deck gegangen.
Tatsächlich, wir hatten es geschafft. Ein Anleger war geschaffen, so groß, dass, unserem Kapitän Uwe Pahl nach, die "Queen Mary" dort anlegen könnte. Mir, wie vielen anderen an Bord, fiel an diesem Sonntag ein riesiger Stein vom Herzen. Nicht nur das Millionenprojekt "Neumayer III", sondern auch unsere Forschung ist, zumindest zum Teil, gerettet.
Mir blieben nur wenige Stunden Schlaf, bis mich der Fahrtleiter Uli Bathmann per Telefon auf das Helikopterdeck bat. Der Helikopter war bereits in der Luft, als ich auf dem Landedeck eintraf. An Bord: unser Kapitän und der Kapitän der "Naja Arctica". Sie waren unterwegs, um die Eignung der Eiskante zum Entladen der neuen Forschungsstation von dem dänischen Frachtschiff zu überprüfen.
Zum zweiten Mal durfte ich Uli bei der fotografischen Dokumentation der Situation vom Helikopter aus unterstützen. Beim ersten Mal vor zwei Wochen ging es darum, die besonders schwere Eissituation vor Beginn der ganzen Aktion zu erkunden und festzuhalten. Dieses Mal ging es darum, den Erfolg der mühsamen und akribisch geplanten Operation zu dokumentieren. Die Polarstern hat einen 3,6 km langen und mehrere 100 m breiten Kanal in die Atka-Bucht gerammt, genug Platz für die „Naja Arctica" zum Manövrieren.
Gegen Mittag haben wir Abschied genommen. Ein bisschen Wehmut ist schon dabei – wer weiß, ob ich diesen Ort jemals wieder sehen kann? Aber allgemein herrscht Aufbruchstimmung. Der letzte Abschnitt der Reise beginnt und wir wollen alles rausholen, was uns die kommenden Stationen bieten.
Der Torben

We did it! Good bye "Neumayer"!

Ramming towards the shelf ice

This night to Sunday, the two Belgian participants of the cruise, Katja and Henri, organised the "Belgian Night 2008" and had brought a whole box of different types of Belgian Beer to taste. They also served French fries of fresh potatoes. This was a very nice event and the bar was crowded. On Sunday, 13th of January we were caught between the fast ice and heavy pack ice and the storm was up to 9 bft. We had no chance except from drifting westward. This day was the first day for me to recognise that I was counting the coming days on "Polarstern" backwards. We did not have stations to do for many days, some scientists on board became afraid of loosing all planned stations and this also was topic in most of the chatting going on.
For getting some alternatives in the daily program, I decided to organise a small and private "The Blues Brothers" night. The plan was, to sit on the cosy sofas in the Blue Salon ant watch the movie on the laptop. Dress code: Sunglasses! But soon, a lot more friends were aware of that and I decided to relocate that event to the seminar room. The scenery of men with sunglasses, with faces like stone, sitting together in a dark room was very funny. Somehow the word was spread all over the ship and some people just went by and heard the movie and suddenly the room was full.
And most of the people realised quickly, what was going on and went out again to fetch their sunglasses. This was a nice evening. Until Tuesday, 15th of January, I could not believe that we would have another scientific station. Daily progress seemed so small. And the storm had filled up the canal with pack ice again. But after the storm last weekend a huge ice flow was broken off the canal's eastern side.
"Polarstern" broke that flow to pieces and pushed them out of the canal carefully. Once this was accomplished, the icebreaker could turn easily within the double sized canal. The strategy of ramming was changed by captain Pahl: From now on, ice was scraped off the fast ice edge by 45°
ramming, interrupted by straight ramming every now and then. As three people had birthday this and the coming day, some celebration took place and almost no one noticed that within some hours we reached the shelf ice edge and even a large landing site was prepared. Only some hours of sleep remained, until chief scientist Uli woke me up by phone call: "I'd like you to be on the heli deck in 30 to 45 minutes. Better 30!" "Ok!" The message was clear. I got my equipment together, erased data from my camera's memory, changes batteries and was ready for take off. I was and still am overwhelmed by this opportunity Uli gave me again and I am very thankful for that. This time we used the helicopter to show the success of this two-week operation. Big relief could be felt on board as most scientists could hope for stations. And the AWI also is very happy now, as the unloading of "Naja Arctica" and the construction of "Neumayer III" can finally start now. A lot of pressure fell off the shoulders of the captain and Uli, I think. `"Polarstern" in the canal, close to the "Nordanler" ice edge´. That was the message, our pictures were supposed to give to the AWI and to the press. Around midday we left Atka Bay and headed for the first station of the final transect of this cruise. Saying goodbye to "Neumayer", Atka Bay and the shelf ice made me feel a little bit sad. Who knows if I will ever see this panorama again? But looking forward, there is hopefully another deep-sea station. And last but not least, I am getting excited coming home again.
Today is Friday, 18th. We are in Minke Whale country. Angelika was lucky to help with the helicopter counting today as we passed an ice free area with many Minke Whales. We passed that area before and Bram and Victoria saw those whales jumping and playing. I still got lots of work to do. Many samples wait to be sorted and many isopod legs wait to be dissected. Hopefully see you soon!
Yours, Torben

Another trawl

On Saturday, 12th of January "Polarstern" had to abort the operation for a while as a storm with winds from the east and northeast was approaching. The risk of getting caught in the canal by heavy pack ice was too high. While waiting for the storm, we got the chance to deploy another bottom trawl in 600m depth. The catches were very rich and impressing. There was "Icefish", giant isopods, millions of crinoids and much more. There was no chance to get lunch or coffee break that day as we had to process and fix most of the samples immediately. Other animals, especially isopods and amphipods could be kept alive in sea water aquaria in cooling containers.
I had the chance to intensively use my mini aquaria to take pictures of a lot of crustaceans. This day Saskia and me had to present a talk about isopod phylogeny. Saskia did the main part and I presented some thoughts about my upcoming diploma thesis. Indeed, compared to both previous talks on board I felt very uncomfortable before and during this talk. On the one hand I was exhausted due to the all day's hard work, on the other hand there are a lot of uncertainties concerning my thesis. Well, there is still some time to think about all that.