Welcome to this year's blog detailing our field season at McMurdo Station, Antarctica! We are a team of biologists from Portland State University who study the fishes of the extremely cold waters of the Southern Ocean. We will be collecting fish from McMurdo Sound, an icy body of water that borders the Ross Ice Shelf at 78 degrees south latitude. Our studies are focused on the impact of increasing water temperatures on the physiology of these extremely sensitive and ecologically important species.
Fishing operations have been coming along. Most of our fish have been acquired from a few holes close to station. "Bernies" (T. bernacchii) are often found clustered together at the bottom of the tank. As you can see, there are several color morphs ranging from brown and mottled to pinkish and pale. Some exhibit a white patch on the back of their neck (above), while some have three bright white lines. The lined bernie below is a gravid female, as noted by the significant bulge aft of its fins.
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