Dear Diary | Expedition on the Polar Ship Almirante Maximiano!
On this page you will be transported to the exciting expedition aboard the Almirante Maximiano Polar Ship.
Follow closely the logbook of MARE's intrepid scientists, Afonso Ferreira and Graça Sofia Limeira, during the research missions of the polar projects of the PROPOLAR 2024-2025 campaign.
Marvel at the discoveries, challenges and unforgettable moments of this journey into the heart of icy waters!
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21/02/2025
Our last diary - Rio Grande, Brazil
Photo of the team of researchers on board the Almirante Maximiano Polar Ship.
Even before boarding the military flight that would take us back to Rio Grande, we still had the opportunity to explore the small but very characteristic town of Punta Arenas, in the Chilean Patagonia region. Known for being a connection point with the Antarctic continent due to its unique location, this stop allowed us to learn a little about the important role that Punta Arenas plays in polar science.
Photos from the Punta Arenas Natural History Museum.
Once the expedition is over, we will return to Portugal with a sense of accomplishment, not forgetting, of course, that there is still a lot of work to be done in the laboratory with the samples collected. However, that's a question for Sofia and Afonso in the future. For now, our goal is to return to Portugal and get back to our day-to-day routines.
Departure from Punta Arenas to Brazil, aboard a Brazilian Air Force (FAB) military flight.
See you next time!
07/02/2025
Between Icebergs and Seasons - Bransfield Strait
Dear campaign diary, the working days have been long and arduous, but our 12-hour shifts have been full of sights and science. Between icebergs, whales and penguins, we have also carried out many oceanographic stations (i.e. seawater collection and analysis points) along the Antarctic Peninsula.
At each of these stations, it is possible to observe how the abundance of phytoplankton, temperature, salinity and oxygen vary from the surface to the bottom. In terms of phytoplankton, we have observed great diversity not only in their abundance, but also in their taxonomic composition. One group of phytoplankton that has stood out in our observations is the diatoms, the most abundant group of phytoplankton in this region and which plays a fundamental role in the Antarctic ecosystem.
Yesterday, we carried out one of the deepest stations of this expedition: around 2000 meters deep. To commemorate this moment, as is the tradition in these Antarctic campaigns, the entire scientific team on board prepared a set of decorated or personalized styrofoam cups to be lowered into the depths of the sea. Due to the high pressure at the bottom, the cups return compressed, i.e. in a much smaller size than the original. These glasses are then kept as a souvenir of this remarkable moment in the expedition.
That's all for today. We've now reached a station and duty calls. See you next time!
Center: CTD-Rosette system (deep water sampling) and microscope image of a diatom species present at one of the stations (Corethron sp.)
Right: Customized styrofoam cups before (top) and after (bottom) their incursion to a depth of almost 2000 meters.
02/02/2025
Arrival in Antarctica
Dear Campaign Diary, After a calm passage through the Drake Strait, we arrived in Antarctica.
During the passage through the Drake Strait, we still had the opportunity to take some samples for the identification and counting of chocolitophores (calcareous nanophytoplankton). These are key organisms in the carbon cycle, being one of the main exporters of atmospheric carbon from the ocean. Although they are a group typical of warmer waters, there has been an expansion of their distribution towards high latitudes, associated with the warming of the oceans. It is therefore also our aim to find out whether these organisms are occurring more frequently in Antarctic waters, where they were previously non-existent.
On our arrival in Antarctica, we had the chance to visit the Brazilian Antarctic base (Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station) and it was a unique experience, as we had the opportunity to set foot on Antarctic soil and visit an Antarctic base. We met different scientists and their work at the station and were able to see and compare the main differences between life on board a research ship and life on a base.
After that, we started sampling the different locations. The first data collection was a bit funny. The experienced ones were trying to remember how things were done and the younger ones were trying to absorb everything that was happening. Now everyone knows: When the rosette rises we can collect water from the different depths we want and start the analysis.
28/01/2025
First full day on board
Canales Chilenos
Dear Campaign Diary, This long journey began with a 6-hour commercial flight from Lisbon (Portugal) to São Paulo (Brazil). After arriving in Brazil, we still had to take a commercial flight, two buses and a military flight from the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) until we arrived in Chile. Finally, on January 24th, we got to meet our home and workplace for this expedition: the Polar Ship Almirante Maximiano!
Our first day on board, January 25, was a busy one. We started our work by organizing our laboratory, aka “ROV Lab”. Preparing a laboratory on a ship is something different from normal, as you have to pay close attention to where you place the equipment and secure everything very well, especially when the sea gets rough. At these times, we had the support of a group of around 20 Brazilian scientists belonging to the ImpactANT and PRO-SAMBA projects, who accompanied us throughout the expedition.
We are now on our way to Antarctica to continue studying phytoplankton in this important region. To do this, we will be taking water samples to determine and quantify pigments at various depths throughout the water column. Pigments allow us to characterize the state of phytoplankton communities, but they also give us the possibility, through chemotaxonomy, to identify the main groups of phytoplankton. The identification will be validated by simultaneously collecting samples of phytoplankton species to be analyzed under a microscope in the future.
The information obtained in-situ will be used to validate and complement data obtained from ocean color satellites, which also make it possible to study phytoplankton on a larger spatial-temporal scale. In this context, one of the focuses of PHYTO-SHIFT is the validation of observations from NASA's new satellite, PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem), whose main advantage is the acquisition of radiometric data with unprecedented spectral resolution. This will make it possible to study phytoplankton communities in greater detail.
That's it for now! For now, we're in the Chilean Channels. We'll update you when we pass through the Drake Strait and when we're in Antarctic waters. Happy sailing and see you later!
