The sea ice edge in Erebus Bay of the Ross Sea in Antarctica is much further south this season, running right up to the end of the Erebus Glacier Tongue, and cutting off vehicle access to the Weddell seal colonies beyond the Tongue in the Erebus Bay study area.
This means that access to many of the Weddell seal colonies in the study area will require travel by helicopter, since snowmobiles cannot safely cross the Erebus Glacier Tongue (EGT). In many recent previous seasons, the Weddell Seal Study field team would be based at a remote sea ice camp located at Big Razorback Island. However, this very unusual season there is no way to transport the sea ice camp huts beyond the EGT. Below is a photograph by Natalie Brechtel, the Sea Ice Point of Contact, of the south side of Big Razorback Island and the sea ice edge beyond:
Inaccessible Island is in the background. This season the sea ice presents uneven frozen terrain, and requires great care in traveling, especially in flat light. Our field team is very well-trained in sea ice safety and safe travel.
Below is an image from a previous season showing the location of many of the Weddell seal colonies, as well as the placement in many of the previous years of the remote sea ice camp of the Weddell seal study field team members.- Mary Lynn Price
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