Cold comfort: NZ scientists safeguarding Antarctica

A six-week voyage to Antarctica has yielded important results for the New Zealand scientists aboard research ship Tangaroa, writes Nick Truebridge. Photos: NIWA.

Dr Richard O’Driscoll watches several Antarctic petrels glide alongside the Tangaroa in the freezing conditions. The small birds are oblivious to the scientist and the large Niwa research vessel that’s leaving their territory behind on its return journey to Wellington.

Tangaroa has travelled close to 12,000 kilometres since its voyage began on January 8 this year as part of ongoing research covering all areas of Antarctica’s ecosystem.

Twenty-one scientists made the trip to the icy continent – their focus: gathering baseline information to monitor the year-old Ross Sea Marine Protected Area (MPA).

O’Driscoll, who led the voyage, is pleased with the expedition and can’t wait to get back on land to start analysing the 4700 samples, 33 hours of video and 8,000 still images of animals living on the sea-bed.

The expedition also logged sightings of Adelie penguins and more than 190 whales; made 41 fish trawls which collected 1946 kilograms of 110 different species; and towed a plankton net 78 times to a depth of 1000 metres.

O’Driscoll says ‘‘remarkably’’ good weather and a lack of sea ice meant the team’s work was uninterrupted – good news for the New Zealand science communities who’ll benefit from the research.

Dr David Bowden says researchers are was still discovering the different species of fish that live within the million-square kilometre area covered by the MPA. ‘‘We’re interested in what role they play in the ecosystem, in the food web.’’

O’Driscoll says New Zealand plays a leading role in monitoring the vast sea sanctuary, adding that this latest voyage was a ‘‘key contribution’’ to discovering more of the Southern Ocean’s secrets.

‘‘By increasing our understanding of Antarctic and Southern Ocean responses to past climate conditions, it will allow improved modelling of future changes,’’ he says.

New Zealand scientists are working alongside other nations within the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources to establish a longterm monitoring programme in the area.

‘‘It represents a major contribution to global marine protection.’’

Two bongo nets, which are used to sample plankton in the water column at depths down to 1000 metres. There were 227 gear deployments, including 78 plankton tows.