Meet the team
We’ve got a team of 12 people heading to the ice this season to complete a wide array of interdisciplinary science, with platelet ice at the heart of all the activity. There’s also another five team members who have completed all of the pre-deployment certification just in case anyone is turned back at the last minute (for example if someone is injured or tests positive for covid). Who are these people? Here’s a wee intro to the main team, in alphabetical order:
Brett: I’m a marine instruments technician, and this will be
my 14th trip to Antarctica. In the field camp I’m primarily
responsible for overall running of the camp and recovering the oceanographic
mooring we installed last year. I’ll enjoy creating a curling sheet so that we
can run a tournament amongst the team in our evenings.
Craig: I’m a polar researcher who studies the ocean and ice
shelf. I’m also a trained engineer, so this season is my chance to see the
platelet sampling system I’ve designed in action. In my downtime I’ll read my
book and catch up with Brett.
Greg: I am a sea ice scientist and will be part of the
platelet sampler team as well as taking part in sea ice transect work and underwater
ice observations. In my downtime at the camp I will listen to some of my
favourite music, read some ebooks and probably most importantly, catch up on my
sleep!
Jacqui: I’m a biologist/ecologist and I really love
microalgae – after all its actually the little guy who gets overlooked even
though he supports all the big stuff. I’ll be helping with processing the
samples to figure out what lives in the platelet ice. In my spare time I’ll be
sketching all the goings on.
Ken: I’m an ecophysiologist and I’ve been studying Antarctic
sea ice since 1990. This year I’ll be looking at sea ice communities in the
platelet layer. In my spare time you’ll find me reading, taking photos, playing
chess and eating chocolate
Natalie: I’m a marine physicist, and I’ve been studying the
platelet layer under sea ice since 2003. This year I get to bring what I’ve
learned about the physical structure alongside biologists so that we can better
understand how platelets support the ecosystem of the Ross Sea. My choice of
activities for downtime will be listening to audiobooks, learning te reo, and
baking for the team.
Neill: I’m a marine sparky and Mr Fixit. I’ve done heaps of
field work – mostly ship-based, but also on the ice a few times. This year I’ll
be helping out a lot with the sampling system, since I’ve been working with
Craig on the development side for the past few months. I have packed my ping
pong set and am keen to get a game or two going!
Nina: I am a frazil ice enthusiast. I take technical images
of frazil and use computers to simulate its growth and movement. This season I’ll
be using sound to locate frazil ice suspended in the upper ocean. In my spare
time at the field camp I’d like to try cross-country skiing.
Ollie: I’m a field science and moorings technician. I work
with very expensive instruments that measure physical and biogeochemical
parameters of the oceans. In Antarctica I’ll be prepping instruments,
downloading data, and starting the data analysis. I’ll be getting into snacks
and providing movies for the team in the evenings.
Svenja: I’m a marine biologist. In Antarctica I’ll be studying
the tiny animals that live in the sea ice and in the ocean directly below the
ice. I’ll help prepare the samples and get the analysis underway. If I get any
spare time I’ll use it to listen to audiobooks and take photos. And eat any ice
cream that Ollie hasn’t got to yet.
Vanessa: As the research assistant and filmmaker, I'll be an extra set of hands with equipment and in the field. I'll also be directing, 2nd camera and sound for a feature documentary that is following Natalie and her team through this season of research on the Ice. In my down time at camp I will be staring at the view, playing cards, and working on my ice curling skills (hopefully!).
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