University of New England

Two UNE students return from NSF-funded Antarctic research cruise

Two University of New England students have returned from a seven-week National Science Foundation-funded research cruise to the Antarctic Oct. 21 - Dec. 16, 2005.

Stacey M. Keith, a junior aquarium and aquaculture major, and Kerra Gearinger, a sophomore marine biology major, are research assistants to Joaquim Goes, Ph.D., and Helga Gomes, Ph.D., of the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, a UNE affiliate.

They kept a blog of their activities during their time on board the Research Vessel Nathaniel B. Palmer that is posted on UNE's website.

Stacey Keith and Kerra Gearinger

Dr. Goes' research team is studying how increased ultraviolet light affects the biochemical composition of Antarctic phytoplankton communities. The cruise took place at a time (austral spring) when the ozone hole is at its peak size over Antarctica.

Both Keith and Gearinger were research interns for Dr. Goes summer 2005, working on independent research projects as well as helping in analyzing samples from Dr. Goes last Antarctic trip in December 2004-January 2005. UNE marine biology major Ashley Below '05, a senior at the time, accompanied Dr. Goes on that trip as a research assistant.

The Research
Antarctica is subjected to particularly high levels of solar UV light due to a patch of thinning ozone located directly above it. Phytoplankton communities, which are an important source of food in the Antarctic marine food chain, are particularly vulnerable to high levels of solar UV light because they depend on the sun's energy for photosynthesis and growth .

Dr. Goes research team  is studying how UV light impacts the biosynthesis of  fatty acids, amino acids, and carbohydrates in phytoplankton  to better understand how this may impact the growth of animals higher in the Antarctic marine food chain.

Additionally, they employed sediment traps to observe the material that sinks to the bottom of the ocean. This will allow them to study how UV light impacts the amount of carbon that is sequestered into the oceans by phytoplankton.

The National Science Foundation funds the research as part of a program to study how decreasing ozone levels will affect the food web at different levels as well as the carbon cycle in the ocean. Goes' team was one of six research groups on the voyage. The other research groups on this cruise were from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Centre, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, University of Southern California, University of South Florida, State University of New York and Alabama State University.

Stacey Keith
Keith, of Auburn, Maine, also interned with Dr. Goes during the summer of 2004 at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Boothbay Harbor, looking at the effects of ultraviolet radiation on the fatty acids synthesized by  phytoplankton.

During her freshman year at UNE, she was involved in the Green Learning Community, an academic program for marine biology, environmental studies, and aquaculture students. This past year she volunteered at a cat shelter located in Saco.

"I want to go to Antarctica because I think it will be a wonderful experience," Keith said before the journey. "I will be able to travel to two new places, New Zealand and Antarctica, and be able to observe all the marine life on our cruise. I think it will be exciting and a great learning experience. I think the research cruise will give me needed experience with being on a research ship and collecting samples. This will help later on in deciding whether research cruises are something I want to incorporate into my career. The experience will also help to get me a job later on."

Kerra Gearinger
Gearinger, of Slatington, Penn., has been active as a volunteer at UNE's Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center and was hired as a member of the staff at the Center this fall.  She became van-certified to be able to transport marine animals and also took scuba diving classes, and receiving her scuba certification last fall. Being scuba-certified, she joined UNE's SCUBA club and also MASH (marine animal stranding hotline).

During her internship at Bigelow Laboratory summer 2005, Kerra studied a group of compounds which help phytoplankton protect themselves against UV light. This group of compounds called mycosporine like amino acids could someday be used in sun screen creams.

"Traveling to Antarctica is a journey that not many people can experience," Gearinger said before the journey. "I believe it will be an immense learning opportunity. Once aboard N.B. Palmer, I will be in the company of many other scientists and interns. The trip will help me to develop professionally through the observation of successful researchers. I believe that working aboard a ship will require a great amount of teamwork. It will strengthen my abilities to work and problem solve with other people aboard the vessel."

Internship
The two students will receive internship credits for their Antarctic research. The internships are coordinated through the UNE Biological Science/Environmental Studies Internship Office.

(Press release updated Dec. 19, 2005)