Bill Hanshumaker

NOAA Ocean Explorer:

"Sounds from the Southern Ocean"

Dec. 4-13, 2005

Three-dimensional perspective of the seafloor of the Bransfield Strait, the ocean basin separating the South Shetland Islands (green topography on the left) and the Antarctic Peninsula (green topography on the right).

Image courtesy of NOAA/Vents, Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI)

Sea Grant Marine Educator Bill Hanshumaker and other researchers from the Hatfield Marine Science Center and NOAA spent Dec. 4-13, 2005 on a voyage of discovery to Antarctica.

Hanshumaker reported back as the team traveled from South Korea's Antarctic station to the Russian research vessel Yuzhmorgeologiya to install a deep-sea hydrophone network. "Sounds from the Southern Ocean" was intended to learn more about ice sheet movement, undersea earthquakes, even the calls of the great whales.

In addition to reporting on the voyage, Hanshumaker is developing exhibit material for the visitor center as well as collaborating on a presentation for the NPR Radio Expeditions feature.

Other HMSC researchers on board for the expedition included OSU/NOAA's Robert Dziak (recording acoustic signals of seafloor earthquakes, volcanoes, ice noise and marine mammals in the ocean off the Antarctic Peninsula); NOAA's Haru Matsumoto (coordinating installation of the deep-sea hydrophone network) and NOAA/CIMRS marine mammal specialist Sara L. Heimlich (conducting a visual and acoustic survey of marine mammals).

Research proposal summary (.pdf file)

Reports from the expedition:

News release: Oregon State Scientists to Deploy Underseas Listening Devices in Antarctica (Dec. 2, 2005)
Dec. 3: Embarking for Antarctica
Dec. 4: Life on the rocks
Dec. 5: Glaciers
Dec. 6: Aboard the Yuzhmorgeologiya
Dec. 7: Deploying the hydrophones
Dec. 8: Life aboard a research vessel
Dec. 9: Drake Passage
Dec. 10: Back to base
Dec. 11: Farewell to Antarctica
Interview: Dr. Haru Matsumoto
Interview: Sara Heimlich
Interview: Bob Dziak
Bird and Cetacean Sighting Log

Visit the NOAA Ocean Explorer site

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