New Zealand IPY-CAML voyage to the Southern ocean

Penguins on the ice

From February until mid-March 2008, New Zealand scientists are embarking on an eight-week voyage to the Ross Sea to survey the marine environment and explore the variety of life forms (biodiversity) in the region.

They will sail on board New Zealand’s research vessel Tangaroa and collect samples of marine life that will include viruses, bacteria, plankton, benthic fauna, cephalopods, fish and the prey of top predators such as seabirds and whales.

With a biodiversity focus, the intention is to collect samples of living organisms from the sea floor to the sea surface, from microscopic to mega-size, across a wide range of environmental and geographic gradients. This includes capturing images of the sea floor down to depths of 4,000 metres, in areas not explored before.

To understand how the ecosystem functions, studies of feeding patterns will be carried out across as many biological groups as possible, and the information will be used to improve the understanding about the ecosystem of the Ross Sea region.

Working together

International Polar Year 2007-2008

The voyage will take place during International Polar Year (IPY) – a global scientific programme designed to better understand the land and sea environments of the Arctic and Antarctic and the effects climate change has on them.

The Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML) is one of many international research programmes that falls under the IPY umbrella.

This multi-national research project involves 23 countries in 11 co-ordinated voyages, to survey marine life and habitats around Antarctica. CAML is one of the broader Census of Marine Life (CoML) projects, which aim to determine the diversity of marine species across all oceans and depths by 2010. The voyage is also part of Oceans Survey 20/20 – a New Zealand Government ocean mapping project.

Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML)

The project is a major collaboration between Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), Ministry of Fisheries, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Antarctica New Zealand, Te Papa, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and New Zealand universities.

What does the voyage involve?

Following six days of transit time from Wellington down to the Ross Sea, the research vessel RV Tangaroa will commence sampling in the southernmost part of the survey area during the period of time when the seasonal ice is least extensive. The plan is to sample across the Ross Sea shelf as far east as the ice conditions allow.

RV Tangaroa

Towards the end of the voyage, Tangaroa will move north again towards deeper water (the ‘abyss’) and sample some seamounts in the Admiralty seamount range and around Scott Island.

On a daily basis, the scientists on board will work in with the skipper and crew to agree on the plan for the day. Each person will have a well defined role and will assist with a range of tasks including sifting through mud samples, sorting and identifying fish and squid, and storing tissue samples in liquid nitrogen for genetic studies.

For further information on the crew and their roles see article People on board.

The sorting, labelling and storage of samples and data collected form a major part of the workload during the voyage, and it is very important that everyone pays attention to detail so that the post-voyage analyses can be maximised.

NATURE OF SCIENCE

Scientific investigations usually involve the collection of evidence, the use of logical reasoning and the application of imagination in forming a hypothesis and explanations that make sense of the collected evidence.

The vessel will follow strict protocols regarding the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and Antarctic protocols associated with conducting research from a vessel in the area.

How can you learn more?

Follow the eight-week voyage and weekly progress when scientists and crew tell about their experiences on the ship. The information includes stories from the crew as well as audio, video and still imagery from the voyage and daily data that is collected during the voyage.

New Zealand Government

The voyage is organised into eight themes.

• The research vessel Tangaroa
• Life on board the Tangaroa
• Diversity of Ross Sea fish
• Benthos – life on the seabed
• Plankton in the Ross Sea
• Currents in the Southern Ocean
• Seamounts in the Southern Seas
• The food web of the Ross Sea

See this news article Ship ahoy!