Weddell Seal Science

Report From The Ice By Dr. Jay Rotella With New Video From Parker Levinson!

Field Video From Parker Levinson:

Field Report From Dr. Jay Rotella:

Although the field work was slow to get going this year due to weather-related delays in the team’s arrival, things are now going well. The team has put in flagged routes, which are essential to safe travel, to nearly every seal pupping colony, and hopes to complete the final few stretches today or tomorrow.

The past few days have had mostly sunny skies with relatively light winds and modest temperatures
(5-12 degrees F), which has allowed the team to do a lot of work with the seals. The peak of pup births is here, so as we get caught up over the next week or so, we’ll have much better information on how many pups will be produced by the Erebus Bay Weddell seal population this year and how it compares to the high levels that have occurred in recent years.

The sea ice extends a fair bit further north beyond the study area and the sea ice is quite thick this season. Some of the colonies that typically have a lot of mother-pup pairs appear to hold more modest numbers this year, while some of the more northerly, outlying colonies seem to have more.

We’re looking forward to learning how things turn out as one of our goals is to learn what makes the population go up and down the way it does. So, years with different conditions and different numbers are key to making progress on that question. We’re also very interested in seeing if the number of mothers that are born outside the study area is lower this year when the more extensive ice provides more alternate pupping sites for such females. More to come in the weeks ahead.

- Jay Rotella, Lead Scientist and Professor, Montana State University Ecology Department

Lead Scientist Jay Rotella Joins Field Team On The Ice

Weddell Seal Population Project lead scientist Prof. Jay Rotella is now safely in Antarctica at the US Antarctic base, McMurdo Station. He is currently completing his annual sea ice safety training to join the field team working in Erebus Bay. This is Jay's 22nd year on this project, and he has deployed to Antarctica many, many times over these past two plus decades of his work on this over 50 year population study project. We look forward to to our next update from the field as the birth of new pups, tagging, weighing, and population surveys ramp up over the peak pupping season period ahead. Here's Dr. Jay Rotella in a previous season discussing the project's work with Weddell seals in Erebus Bay, Antarctica.

- Mary Lynn Price

New Podcast Episode Featuring "Weddell Seals" eBook Author Jeremy Schmidt Reading An Excerpt on Mark-Recapture

In our latest Weddell Seal Science Audio Podcast, project multimedia specialist and author/creator Jeremy Schmidt reads an excerpt from our new multimedia eBook, "Weddell Seals" on Mark-Recapture basics. Mark-Recapture is a data analysis method used extensively by the project to estimate the size and abundance of the Weddell seal population in Erebus Bay, Antarctica that is the focus of the Weddell seal population project. The podcast is available through Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and the new episode on Mark-Recapture basics is presented, below. We hope you enjoy the new episode!

- Mary Lynn Price

1st Video From The Field As The 2023 Weddell Seal Pupping Season Gets Rolling!

Field Team Leader and MSU Grad Student Parker Levinson reports by video from the Big Razorback Weddell seal pupping colony in Erebus Bay, Antarctica. In addition to her Masters work on the project toward an MS in Fish and Wildlife Management, Parker is an excellent wildlife photographer. Her video outreach work this season showcases her growing skills as a video producer. We look very much forward to featuring more of her wonderful work throughout the pupping season!

- Mary Lynn Price

Flagging Safe Sea Ice Travel Routes In Erebus Bay

As the Antarctica field team gets into action this 2023 Weddell seal pupping season in Erebus Bay, flagging safe snowmobile routes over the sea ice to the many Weddell seal pupping colonies is one of the first major pupping season activities of the field team on the Ice. This work is crucial to safe travel and work on the sea ice, and takes a couple of days to complete. Here's a video from a past season showing what's involved in flagging these safe snowmobile routes.

This season, the sea ice is in pretty good shape throughout the Erebus Bay area. There are a number of large sea ice cracks that happen every year, and many smaller cracks that are new each season. The field team learns how to properly drill for these cracks both to expose them and measure the sea ice thickness for safety purposes. This drilling will continue for many cracks over the course of the changing conditions as the sea ice begins to melt in places during the Austral Spring. The Antarctica field team is well trained to safely accomplish these tasks!

- Mary Lynn Price

Report From The Ice By Parker Levinson!

Report From Parker Levinson, Field Team Leader and MSU Masters Student:

We finally made it to the Ice!! It’s been a bit of a whirlwind getting down here. We were delayed in Christchurch, New Zealand for about a week due to weather (both in Antarctica and in New Zealand) and plane logistics.

We thought we were going to fly Saturday, we even managed to board the C17 and fasten our seatbelts but had to disembark after the winds in NZ got too strong to take off. All our bags were already checked and on the plane, but we got our "boomerang" bag back as we disembarked. This is a bag that contains all your essentials and some extra clothes and is returned to you in case your flight does not land in McMurdo, i.e., boomerangs back to New Zealand. 

But we’re here now! We arrived on a gorgeous blue bird day. There was absolutely no wind, the sky was crystal clear, and you could even make out the smoke coming out of Mount Erebus - the southernmost active volcano on Earth - in the distance. On the drive into station, we spotted some seals out on the sea ice. 

I think it can sometimes be hard to visualize what it’s like to work down here. I took the first photo on the road that runs by our laboratory as the sun was “setting”. Crary is the building on the left which is where we have our lab, and you can make out Mount Discovery on the horizon line.

This second photo was taken from the same spot less than 24 hours later, and while you can still make out buildings in the second image, you can see how much the landscape changes and how quickly it can change. 

We’ve spent the last few days getting situated and preparing to head into the field. We’ve done a variety of trainings from GPS use to sea ice safety, and now we’re in the final stages of getting all our gear ready to head into the field. We’re hoping to get into the field in a few days, and see what the seals are up to this season! 

- Parker Levinson

2023 Antarctica Field Team Now Safely On The Ice!

Project lead scientist Prof. Jay Rotella reports this morning that he has heard from field team leader Parker Levinson that the field research team has safely arrived in Antarctica. "They made it to McMurdo Station. Their gear has also arrived and the items we shipped down as cargo this summer are all present and ready, which is great. I think we’ll know a lot more within 1-2 days about when they’ll be trained and cleared to go out on the sea ice."

This season the field team will be based on station at McMurdo, the largest of the three US Antarctic bases. In many past seasons the team was based at a remote sea. ice camp near Big Razorback Island, which is more central to the Weddell seal pupping colonies in Erebus Bay, Antarctica. (Please see a map above of the Weddell seal pupping colonies that are the primary focus of the Erebus Bay Weddell seal population project.)

For the past several years, due variously to the pandemic, sea ice conditions and fiscal constraints, the team has worked out of McMurdo Station. This means longer snowmobile drives to access the numerous pupping colonies and return home in the evenings, and longer work days for the field team. Yet it also means that the team will have easier access to the many support services and benefits of living on and working from the largest US Antarctic base.

We hope to learn more soon, and will update all when we do!

- Mary Lynn Price

2023 Antarctica Field Team Flies To The Ice!

While we await word from our 2023 field team that they have finally arrived safely in Antarctica at the US Antarctic Base, McMurdo Station, field team leader Parker Levinson introduces us to this pupping season's core 2023 field team members:

We'll update viewers as soon as we know everyone is safely on station in Antarctica!

- Mary Lynn Price

Report From 2023 Field Team Leader and Masters Student Parker Levinson!

Report From Parker Levinson:

Christchurch, New Zealand: People frequently ask me how I feel about returning to Antarctica for another season, and, surprisingly, my answer is “a sense of relief and excitement”. We started planning for 2023 field season months ago, in early March, and have worked steadily since then to make sure we have everything in place for a productive time on “The Ice”.  As soon as I leave the United States, I feel this incredible sense of relief; all of the hard work has paid off! True, we are not in Antarctica yet, but we’re on our way!

Watch Parker Levinson's new video about heading to
Antarctica on our Weddell Seal Science Instagram page!

Now I start getting excited. I envision first stepping off of the plane and breathing in the dry, cold Antarctic air. I think about the snowmobile drives with beautiful, snow covered mountains in the distance. I remember how exciting it is when each technician tags their first seal pup. Of course, there are always hurdles and changes, but that’s part of what makes it fun to work down there - a never-ending logistical puzzle. 

This season, we’ll be working out of McMurdo Station again, instead of from the field camp which we’ve had for more than 40 years of the project. Although working from Station increases our daily commute by a lot, it does have some perks. It provides access to showers, a frequent ability to do laundry, and an endless supply of delicious baked goods.

With some spare time, we headed over to the Antarctic Center and
snapped our first team photo. From left to right,
Rebecca, Kelsey, Parker, Abram, and Nate. 

Before the field season gets underway, I wanted to take this time for the crew to introduce themselves and share what they’ve been up to.... 

Nate Jourdannais (he/him) grew up in Missoula, Montana and has worked as a wildlife research technician all over the state of Montana, primarily with ungulates (deer, elk, pronghorn). He’s currently enjoying Christchurch, New Zealand, taking in the views and enjoying new food. He’s excited to work in Antarctica for the harsh, unique, and diverse experience it will provide, and is looking forward to pushing himself out of his comfort zone and getting the opportunity to work hard in an entirely new ecosystem and part of the world. This is Nate's first year on the project, and first time in Antarctica.

Abram Brown (he/him) graduated from Montana State University in Spring of this year. He has previously worked in various field jobs including in Yellowstone National Park. In his free time he enjoys skiing and biking with friends. He is most excited to meet some baby seals and start his winter early in Antarctica. This is Abram's's first year on the project, and first time in Antarctica.

Kelsey Cronin (she/her) is a birder, biker, baker, and biologist deeply interested in how wildlife populations respond to threats like climate change and habitat loss. Though originally from Southern Oregon, Kelsey has lived in seven states in the past six years, traveling all around the West to assist on a variety of wildlife research projects. In her spare time, she enjoys creating memes, eating pastries, and reading food magazines. This is Kelsey's first year on the project, and first time in Antarctica.

Rebecca Ballard (she/her) grew up in Maryland but has spent the past seven-ish years based out of Montana, finishing a Wildlife Biology B.S. at the University of Montana and working a variety of wildlife jobs from studies on pika to bears to wolves. In her free time back home she likes to hike, backpack, roller skate, try a lot of different craft projects without ever getting too good at any of them, and hang out with her two goofy dogs. This is Rebecca's first year on the project, and first time in Antarctica.

And lastly, me. I’m Parker Levinson (she/her) - a graduate student on this project. This will be my 5th season down in Antarctica, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the seals again. My research focuses on why there are more seal pups now than in previous decades and how that might impact the population in the future.

We’re excited to share the journey with you - ups and downs - so stay tuned. Reach out to us on Instagram if you have specific questions! 

- Parker Levinson (she/her), 2023 Field Team Leader and Montana State University Masters Student

New 2023 Weddell Seal Science Audio Podcast Episode Featuring Lead Scientist, Prof. Jay Rotella!

The 2023 Antarctica field research team is en route to McMurdo Station, Antarctica to begin field research work during the Weddell seal pupping season in the Erebus Bay area of Antarctica's Ross Sea. Here is the 2023 opening episode of our Weddell Seal Science Audio Podcast featuring lead scientist, Prof. Jay Rotella discussing plans, goals, and genomics for the new field research season. This podcast is available free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We hope you enjoy the podcast, presented here using the Spooler Podcast Player!

- Mary Lynn Price

 

2023 Antarctica Field Team Heads to The Ice!

Today the Weddell Seal Population Project’s 2023 Antarctica field team begins their deployment to McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Every springtime in Antarctica, our field team heads South for the annual Weddell seal pupping season in the Erebus Bay area of the Ross Sea to study these iconic Antarctic marine predators. The project has been doing this for over 50 years, resulting in a database that is unique in the scientific community.

Again this season, Montana State University Masters student Parker Levinson is the project field team leader, as she has been for the past two seasons. We’ll introduce you to the entire field team in future posts. The field team will travel to Christchurch, New Zealand where they will be further outfitted for polar work through the US Antarctic Program (New Zealand), and flown to the US Antarctica base, McMurdo Station, when the weather cooperates. 

This season, we'll keep you updated through this field blog, and our Instagram account which is produced and curated by MSU senior Sophia Rotella, daughter of Project Principal Investigator Prof. Jay Rotella. 

Please also check out our new multimedia ebook, "Weddell Seals", now available FREE on Apple Books, and as a direct download on the Weddell Seal Science eBook web page. We hope you enjoy the new eBook!

- Mary Lynn Price

New "Weddell Seals" Multimedia eBook Released By The Project!

We open our 2023 seasonal Antarctica field blog with wonderful news! Soon our 2023 Antarctica Field Team begins their deployment travel to The Ice for the Weddell seal pupping season, as scheduled. And Weddell Seal Science is excited to announce the publication of our new multimedia ebook, Weddell Seals!

Weddell Seals is now available for Free at Apple Books, and as a direct download from WeddellSealScience.com. The new ebook includes numerous cool photos, videos, graphics and audio accompanying the engagingly written chapters.

For a direct download of the new multimedia ebook, Click Here.

To download the PC-friendly epub reader, Adobe Digital Edition, Click Here.

This fascinating new ebook is filled with photos, video, maps and graphics that help bring the engaging text to life. The ebook was written and produced by Weddell Seal Population Project multimedia specialist, Jeremy Schmidt. Jeremy is an author and photographer of natural history and exploration.

 
MSU Weddell Seal Population Project Masters Student and 2023 Field Team Leader Parker Levinson
demonstrates the new eBook in the Ecology Library at Montana State University. The views and
comments in this ebook do not represent those of Montana State University, and should not
be construed as such.

Our intended audience is everyone, from young people to the young at heart of all ages, with an interest in these amazing iconic marine predators. The eBook covers Antarctica, the science work being done by our population project scientists, graduate students and field technicians, doing research in Antarctica, and what the project has learned over the 50 decades plus studying this population of  Weddell seals. We hope you enjoy our new multimedia ebook!

- Mary Lynn Price