January 3, 2025 – Practicing darkfield microscopy as the Nathaniel B. Palmer moves up and down through the Southern Ocean waves … We came to look at phytoplankton. Along with other members of the ship’s science team, I pumped thousands of samples of seawater through a digital microscope, watching Rhizoselenia and Chaetoceros fly by
Understanding the Massive Phytoplankton Blooms Over the Australian-Antarctic Ridge
The Australian-Antarctic Ridge phytoplankton bloom is one of the most concentrated and largest blooms in the Southern Ocean and one of only three large blooms that consistently develop within offshore waters of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, yet we know almost nothing about the processes driving it. Perhaps significantly, this bloom is located directly above two hydrothermal vents that are known to release large amounts of trace metals such as iron. The primary objective of this proposal is to combine remote sensing, modeling, and fieldwork to identify the physical and chemical processes responsible for delivering dissolved iron to the site of the recurring Australian-Antarctic Ridge bloom and characterize the biological and biogeochemical responses by the bloom to that iron input.
More Information About This Project
Participants Involved in This Project
Kevin Arrigo | Researcher Fellow
Department of Earth System Science | Stanford, CA
Madeline Blount | Artist Fellow
Brooklyn, NY
From the Blog
Preparing for an expedition to the Southern Ocean is an adventure in itself. You gather your base layers, boots, goggles, socks, and pack your camera and lenses, envisioning the polar environment—one of the most extreme on Earth. Imagine the biting wind on your cheeks and the sight of albatrosses, prions, penguins, humpback whales, and orcas, thriving in such harsh conditions. The excitement is palpable as you prepare to study the microscopic world that sustains this vast ecosystem. Beneath the icy waters lies an invisible world of phytoplankton, microscopic organisms that are the unsung heroes of the marine ecosystem. Despite their size, phytoplankton play a colossal role in maintaining life on Earth.
Made possible with funding by the U.S. National Science Foundation Award #2221990. The information contained here is those of the author(s) and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.
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