Jean Pennycook | Ice Stories: Dispatches From Polar Scientists

Jean Pennycook has been a high school science teacher for over 20 years and now works with scientists to bring their research to K-12 classrooms. Through an interactive website, Jean reaches students and the general public around the world bringing them closer to the world of penguins and Antarctica.

Project Page: Ross Sea Penguins

All Posts By Jean Pennycook

Where Have All the Whales Gone?

By Jean Pennycook · January 5, 2010 ·

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CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA– Since the early 20th century when exploration of the Ross Sea became common, killer whales have been sighted regularly and described as the most abundant whale in the area. Recently, the killer whales... {Read More »}

Fish Story

By Jean Pennycook · January 4, 2010 ·

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CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA– Antarctic Toothfish has become a popular dish, known as Chilean sea bass, in many expensive restaurants around the world. Little is known about this large slow growing fish... {Read More »}

Penguins 1 – Skuas 0

By Jean Pennycook · December 23, 2009 ·

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CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA– When Adélie Penguins adapted to live in the harsh environment of Antarctic they pretty much got this place to themselves. Nesting on the ground in other parts of the world is very risky for birds... {Read More »}

Snow Storms Are Hard on Adélie Penguins

By Jean Pennycook · December 16, 2009 ·

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CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA– This year the breeding colony at Cape Royds has experienced several large snow storms. A little snow is okay, but this year the amount is more than usual... {Read More »}

What a Difference a Year Makes

By Jean Pennycook · December 15, 2009 ·

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CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA-- Last year and this year the first penguins were seen the last week of October, so not much changed there, but there were fewer birds and nests being built during the first weeks this season. When we started looking for eggs the picture became even more surprising... {Read More »}

The Last Task of the Season

By Jean Pennycook · February 18, 2009 ·

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CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA-- The Adélie Penguin breeding season in Antarctica is short. By late January it is time for everyone to leave including the penguins. Before our team departs our last task is to band the chicks... {Read More »}

The Molt Is On

By Jean Pennycook · February 17, 2009 ·

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CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA-- Penguin chicks are born with a fine cover of small soft feathers. In a few days they will loose those feathers and grow wooly thick gray ones. These feathers will keep them warm for the next few weeks, but are not waterproof... {Read More »}

Rye Rover Rivals Real Rig

By Jean Pennycook · December 29, 2008 ·

1 comment

MCMURDO STATION, ANTARCTICA-- Eighth grade science students at Rye Middle School in Rye, New Hampshire, got into the act in Antarctica. Under the direction of their teacher Robin Ellwood, they built a submersible robotic camera that was launched in the Ross Sea... {Read More »}

Little Ice

By Jean Pennycook · December 16, 2008 ·

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CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA-- When you first come to Antarctica you are overwhelmed by the enormity, vastness and seemingly endless large structures of ice which dominate this continent (see my last dispatch). These larger scale visions persists until you begin to look closer... {Read More »}

Big Ice

By Jean Pennycook · December 15, 2008 ·

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CAPE ROYDS, ROSS ISLAND, ANTARCTICA-- When you first come to Antarctica you are overwhelmed with the amount of ice. Every direction you turn you are surrounded by it dominating and controlling the landscape, white against white. Beautiful and powerful... {Read More »}