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Archive for April, 2009


Reproduction in Antarctic Diatoms

ABOARD THE RVIB N. B. PALMER, ON THE SOUTHERN OCEAN– As most unicellular phytoplankton algae, diatoms usually reproduce by division. One cell becomes two after mitosis; the two new algae are called “daughter cells”. Once in a long while diatoms go through sexual reproduction. What brings this phenomenon? {Read More »}



Diatoms Can Be Toxic

ABOARD THE RVIB N. B. PALMER, ON THE SOUTHERN OCEAN– Phytoplankton cells can become toxic under certain conditions. Still a mystery to scientists why they produce toxins, there has been a proliferation of large concentrations of toxic cells, or blooms, also called red tides, during the last 20 years... {Read More »}



Our First Iceberg

ABOARD THE RVIB N. B. PALMER, ON THE SOUTHERN OCEAN-- C18A is a large iceberg, rectangular, shaped almost like a surf board, 18 km long and 6 km wide. It takes us about 4 hours at 11 knots to navigate around it... {Read More »}



Update on Greenland’s Glaciers

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS-- Last time we saw Mark Fahnestock was in Greenland, as he was wrapping up his season's field work on the Jakobshavn Isbræ, one… {Read More »}