http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu Tiny plants beneath northern sea ice feed all marine life. But warming temperatures and shrinking ice cover are changing the timing of spring phytoplankton blooms and causing some species to thrive while others decline. Aboard the R/V Oscar Dyson, scientists will study this spring’s sea-ice retreat and phytoplankton bloom in the Bering Sea off Alaska. Follow Lamont plankton ecologist Beth Stauffer as she blogs from the field. Tue, 21 May 2013 15:39:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/05/22/the-end-of-the-line/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/05/22/the-end-of-the-line/#comments Tue, 22 May 2012 15:27:09 +0000 Beth Stauffer http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=27057 The R/V Oscar Dyson pulled into Dutch Harbor, Alaska on May 9 after a hectic few final days! We are now starting to sift through the hundreds of samples and a hard-drive worth of data we shipped back, unpacking our eleven boxes of gear, and re-packing perhaps even more for an upcoming cruise off the coast of Brazil. Thanks to everyone who helped make our cruise aboard the R/V Oscar Dyson such a success!]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/05/22/the-end-of-the-line/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/05/07/on-the-move/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/05/07/on-the-move/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 18:57:59 +0000 Beth Stauffer http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=26186 After another day spent hiding out in the Aleutian Islands, we are headed northeast towards the sea ice to attempt recovery of two oceanographic moorings. The weather is improved, only a couple of days remain for scientific study, and we are excited to hopefully accomplish one of the main goals of this cruise! ]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/05/07/on-the-move/feed/ 2 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/05/04/calmer-seas-ahead/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/05/04/calmer-seas-ahead/#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 23:44:21 +0000 Beth Stauffer http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=26083 After a short break due to weather and a bit of fun with Styrofoam cups, we are back in the lab sampling phytoplankton in the Bering Sea. We are using a specialized instrument to determine how well these small plant-like creatures are able to photosynthesize in the ocean, and we continue to learn fun facts about fish larvae from our colleagues.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/05/04/calmer-seas-ahead/feed/ 3 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/05/03/exploring-the-bering-sea-ecosystem/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/05/03/exploring-the-bering-sea-ecosystem/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 07:20:23 +0000 Beth Stauffer http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=25983 Our stations have continued to be rich in phytoplankton, while our colleagues are excited by the larval fish they are finding in the southern Bering Sea. Wildlife sightings have included whales, dolphin, and the jawless lamprey fish, and we are settling in for potentially bumpy seas ahead.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/05/03/exploring-the-bering-sea-ecosystem/feed/ 4 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/05/01/25899/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/05/01/25899/#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 17:59:10 +0000 Beth Stauffer http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=25899 The lovely spring weather in New York City as I prepared for this cruise was difficult to leave behind, and it will be nearly summer once we return. In the Bering Sea, it still feels like winter. For the past two days we have sampled water out on deck with snowflakes falling from the sky. ]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/05/01/25899/feed/ 2 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/04/29/passing-through/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/04/29/passing-through/#comments Sun, 29 Apr 2012 06:53:05 +0000 Beth Stauffer http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=25803 The sun rose above the back decks this morning as we traveled towards Pavlof Bay for our station. As we made our way through the Aleutian Islands, the peaks of active volcanoes Mount Pavlof and Pavlof’s Sister became visible above the clouds. The Aleutians are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, home to about [...]]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/04/29/passing-through/feed/ 2 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/04/27/fishing-for-plankton-in-the-bering-sea/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/04/27/fishing-for-plankton-in-the-bering-sea/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 06:00:36 +0000 Beth Stauffer http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=25546 As Discovery Channel fans know, the Bering Sea supports one of the world’s most productive fisheries, accounting for more than 50 percent of U.S. fish and shellfish catches. The goal of our study is to understand how climate change is impacting phytoplankton, and ultimately the Bering Sea ecosystem.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2012/04/27/fishing-for-plankton-in-the-bering-sea/feed/ 11