November 28, 2009.Today we woke up with boat handling classZodiac. Basically a safety talk about what to always carry on board: a complete change of clothes in a “dry bag” (waterproof), a tent, fuel for the boat, oars, radios, food, water, etc. We also had to learn where theemergency reserves(scattered on several of the neighboring islands) just in case some of the famous Antarctic storms surprise us. We have to be careful with the ice, which is sharper than a surgeon’s scalpel and would cut the rubber of the Zodiac like butter. The advanced class will be in the water, in the boat, including a water rescue and resuscitation of someone with hypothermia. And then we will be ready to sail in pairs.
The focal point of Saturday was thelate Thanksgiving dinner. Stacy and Diane are two terrific chefs who go around the world every year cooking in exotic locations (luxury extreme tourism ships, Everest camps for millionaires, etc.) They opened like plates (I haven’t taken those photos yet, but you’ll see them): cabinets full of great things, it’s not about military rations just to survive. Here, in addition to the “normal” food, there is wine, olives, cheeses, salami, great meats, all in abundance.
The same mind-boggling abundance I found in the ship’s container dedicated to storing science objects: everything a modern laboratory would like to have in terms of equipment, from a pipette and a petri dish to a microscope. That indicates how seriously the US Antarctic Program (USAP) takes scientific work in this part of the world.
And it has its reasons: what is being learned in theAntarcticais thebase of innumerable later studies on ecology and climate change; in a few words, what will happen to the future of this planet, which in turn involves federal legislation and international agreements. Studies are currently underway at Palmer withantarctic birds(including penguins, petrels and others),phytoplankton(plant plankton) andbacteria, to name a few. But the key question isice loss. It is the cardinal point of all this, as I will learn later. When ice increases or decreases, when it melts or compacts, changes in the local and global ecosystem are important. They are the basis of many things in a long chain that begins in the sea and in the atmosphere and ends in our homes, in our wallets, in our pantries and in the future of our quality of life.
Our intention is to participate in all the investigations throughout these next days. But first, you have toclean the house. Saturdays is the day of“house mouse”(the “house mouse”). This means that all personnel, without distinction, must draw a ballot and perform the tasks indicated therein. I had to sweep and mop the laboratory floors. After doing it, I felt Palmer more mine than yesterday. “Wait until it’s time to wash the bathrooms,” someone told me. “Then yes it will be yours forever.”
Angela Posada-Swafford
For more informationFollow Angela’s journey in “From Antarctica”
