Lake Ecosystems in Antarctica
Update
Meet the Team
Teacher - Robin Ellwood
Robin Ellwood has always had an affinity for the outdoors. Her passion for environmental systems led her to pursue a degree in Zoology from the University of New Hampshire. One of her favorite experiences was participating in a summer program at the Isles of Shoals Marine Laboratory in the Gulf of Maine where she took an Underwater Research course. This experience, coupled with her teaching experience as a SCUBA instructor, sparked a desire to become a science teacher. Upon completing a Masters Degree in Science Education, Ms. Ellwood forged a loyal relationship with Rye Junior High School in the seacoast town of Rye, New Hampshire. She has been teaching 8th grade science there ever since, and is currently working on a Ph.D. in science education. Ms. Ellwood’s goal is to bring the spirit of life-long learning to her students and to create innovative field research opportunities for students.
Researcher - Peter Doran
Peter Doran is an associate professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences and active research scientist at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a veteran of numerous expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic studying climate and ecosystem change. Ms. Ellwood worked with Dr. Doran’s Antarctic research team in 2004.
Journals
December 2, 2008: Home again!
November 27, 2008: Be ready to go!
November 26, 2008: Stuck in Mactown!
November 25, 2008: Bag Drag
November 24, 2008: Packing, packing, packing!
Project Information
Where are They?
The McMurdo Dry Valleys are located on the western coast of McMurdo Sound (77°00'S 162°52'E) and form the largest relatively ice-free area (approximately 4800 square kilometers) on the Antarctic continent. The perennially ice-covered lakes, ephemeral streams, and extensive areas of exposed soil within the McMurdo Dry Valleys are subject to low temperatures, limited precipitation, and salt accumulation. Thus, the dry valleys represent a region where life approaches its environmental limits. The dry valleys are dominated by microorganisms, mosses, lichens, and relatively few groups of invertebrates; higher forms of life are virtually non-existent.
What are they Doing?
The McMurdo Dry Valleys Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) project is an interdisciplinary study of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in a cold desert region of Antarctica. The McMurdo LTER project is one of 21 sites comprising the National Science Foundation’s LTER Network, where scientists conduct long-term ecological research in a broad array of ecosystems. Dr. Doran studies the lakes of the Dry Valleys. His team collects long-term data on the physical and chemical conditions within the lakes and relates them to biological diversity and processes. Ms. Ellwood will be part of a SCUBA diving crew working under the lake ice to collect information about the conditions on the bottom of the lake (benthos).
Vocabulary
- Benthos
- Ecosystem
- SCUBA
The bottom of a sea or lake
An ecological community together with its environment, functioning as a unit.
Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus