ON THE MV ISLAND SKY

The MV Island Sky, a ship Christian describes as a cross between a floating hotel and a research station, sailed from Argentina. It traveled through the Drake Passage, across the Southern Ocean, and around the Antarctic Peninsula. Here are his impressions.

Adjusting Expectations. Before I left, I read “Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage” by Alfred Lansing. It really framed what it would’ve been like to go to Antarctica without the modern conveniences of technology — it put the ruggedness and the danger of the place in context. And that helped me realize that, if things didn’t go according to plan, that was normal.

Citizen-Scientists: Birds. Matt and I spent most of the three-day voyage from Argentina to Antarctica standing on the back of the ship collecting data on seabird diversity and distribution. We identified bird species, activity, behavior, feeding habits, weather, and location while crossing the Drake Passage. This data was given to eBird at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which supports science, conservation, and education.

Penguins vs. Snow. It turns out that climate change doesn’t always mean warmer temperatures and more melting. Antarctica received more snow than normal this year, which is related to changing temperatures. And with more snowfall, the snow took longer to melt. This means that the penguins were trying to reproduce and nest on snow, rather than on land, which affects their breeding success.

The Magic of Rongé Island. Antarctica was experiencing pretty close to 24 hours of sunlight when we decided to do an overnight camping trip on Rongé Island. We watched the light change as the sun moved across the sky. The ice cracked, and we could hear mountain avalanches; we watched icebergs float by. We also left room for seals, who laid claim to the best camping spots on the ice.

CitizenScientists: Clouds. Ice covers almost all of Antarctica. If it’s cloudy, it’s hard for NASA and Argos satellites to be certain about ground conditions, because everything’s white. So, Matt and I spent some time cloud-watching. We’d sync up with the satellites’ timing and give our observations of cloud type, direction, and altitude. This data helps scientists determine the accuracy of satellite observations and track climate change.

Sharing with students

Having had a wonderful experience in the Antarctic — and having taken a brief trip to the Arctic in fall 2022 — Christian is creating a Polar Science elective for Middle School students this spring. His goal is not only to impart knowledge, but also to have students experience what a polar region (and polar experimentation) feels like.

“I want to give them as many opportunities to have ‘aha’ moments as I did when I was in those places,” Christian says. Accordingly, he’s sharing some of the bird- and cloud-focused data he collected, so students can examine it. Christian is helping the students investigate the relationships among the salinity, density, and temperature of water. He’s working with a local restaurant to arrange a trip to a deep freezer, where the students can experience sub-zero temperatures and conduct experiments. Christian is also planning an optional “polar plunge” so that students can experience a version of how seals, penguins, and other well-insulated animals live in polar regions.

At bottom, Christian is hoping that this class will spark curiosity and caring about other places, just as his curiosity was sparked by bird books when he was a child.

“My experience in Antarctica has made me an ambassador for the Antarctic,” Christian says. “I think teaching this class is a way of fulfilling that role. You can’t protect a place unless you care about it.”