University scientist remembers incredible discovery in Antarctica
‘WATCHING BLUE PLANET GAVE ME HUGE SENSE OF PRIDE’
Environmental Reporter FOR two years Dr Will Reid enjoyed a walk to work like no other.
He worked as a fisheries scientist for the British Antarctic Survey at a base on the island of South Georgia.
The walk from his living quarters to his workplace was only a few minutes.
But Will, who is currently engaged in research at Newcastle University into extreme marine environments, says: “It was an amazing walk, looking out at an old, abandoned whaling station across the bay and snow capped mountains in what was an amazing landscape.
“To be there was a unique opportunity which I was very lucky to have had.”
After South Georgia, Will later returned to Antarctica as part of a team on the UK science vessel James Cook to locate and investigate hydrothermal vents on the sea bed.
“I went back to the Antarctic as part of the first scientific expedition to sample these truly amazing habitats,” said Will, who was studying for a PhD at Newcastle University.
“We used a remotely-operated vehicle to dive down to over two kilometres.”
Hydrothermal vents release hot fluids rich in minerals into the water at the bottom of the ocean and are surrounded by high densities of life, including large numbers of crabs living in total darkness.
Will said: “We discovered whole new communities and species and mapped where the different animals lived around the vents. My work focused on what the animals were eating.”
So when Will was watching the recent David Attenborough TV series, Blue Planet II, it brought back a lot of memories.
Will examined samples which suggested that bacteria was the food source for the crabs.
“These were the first Antarctic vents to be found and sampled and the animals who lived there described,” he said.
“The crabs were consuming bacteria from their own bodies. They have dense hair on the undersides where the bacteria grow.”
Will lives in Heaton in Newcastle with partner Charlotte, who he met at the base in South Georgia where she worked as a doctor.
He said: “Watching Blue Planet II gave me a huge amount of personal pride. To sit there with my kids and my partner and show them on TV the Antarctic crab that I helped discover felt like a landmark in my scientific career.”
The inspiration for his Antarctic travels began at the age of 13 as he watched another Attenborough series, Life in the Freezer.
“The opening scene where David Attenborough was standing in a vast snow and ice