Every Austral Spring, Weddell seals return to pupping colonies in the Erebus Bay area of Antarctica's Ross Sea to give birth, raise their new pups, and mate. Weddell seals are the southernmost breeding mammal on Earth. And every Austral Spring, researchers who study this Weddell seal population return to Erebus Bay to continue work on one of the longest running population studies of a long-lived mammal. Over the many decades the project developed and maintains a population database that is unique in the scientific community. (More info on the history of this research project can be found on our website, WeddellSealScience.com, in the History section.)
This 32-year-old Weddell mom with her 19th pup last season is the oldest Weddell seal ever recorded by the Weddell seal population project.
Today the 2022 Weddell seal field team began their deployment journey South to The Ice. They travel to Antarctica with the US Antarctic Program as part of the science group B-009. This group was one of the first science groups of the US Antarctic Program, and was the recipient of the first Marine Mammal Permit to be issued. The team members start their journey from the West Coast of the US and fly to Christchurch, New Zealand. There they receive training and are outfitted with extreme cold weather gear. Then, when the weather permits, the team flies to McMurdo Station, the largest US base in Antarctica. Once on station at McMurdo, the team receives further training in preparation for work on the sea ice. B-009 is one of what are known as "sea ice groups," groups that do science out on the sea ice. The Weddell seal population project is funded by the National Science Foundation, and is based currently at Montana State University - Bozeman.
This year the Weddell Seal Population Study field team consists of
- Parker Levinson, MSU graduate student, and field crew leader for the 2nd time in 3rd field season in a row on the project;
- Morgan Anderson, new to the project;
- Avalon Conklin, new to the project;
- Brandon Davis, 2nd season on the project;
- Johnathon Hobgood, new to the project; and
- Mairan Smith, new to the project.
Lead scientist Dr. Jay Rotella joins the field team this season in another week. He will be working in the field, and will also be working on project outreach. In upcoming blog posts we'll introduce each of the team members, explore the science work of the team and the project, and delve further into some of our cool new public outreach efforts this season.
Here's a short project video from previous seasons on some of what's involved in deploying to Antarctica. We hope you enjoy the video, and check back frequently for updates as the 2022 Weddell pupping season progresses!
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