We have presented in this report data collected from our 2011 Antarctic expedition. Our data was primarily from oceanographic sampling conducted using a conductivity-temperature-depth probe, both from the ship as well as zodiacs; limited data from Secchi depth measurements and water sampling was also presented herein.
Although Antarctica is the most remote continent on Earth, the Southern Ocean plays a large role in influencing global water circulation (Bargali 2005); changes in circulation, temperature, and salinity patterns in the Southern Ocean have the potential to induce changes in ocean characteristics all over the world. Human activities, such as anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, have been linked to rising sea surface temperatures in the Southern Ocean as well as to changes in circulation patterns (Bargali 2005), which could prove to be disastrous for organisms that rely on specific temperatures and circulation patterns for their survival. As polar warming is projected to be greater than the mean global warming (IPCC 2001), Antarctica will likely be faced with disproportionate temperature changes in the near future. On our expedition to Antarctica we hoped to gain greater knowledge about an ocean and a continent that are geographically isolated from the rest of the world, and learn about the influences of temperature and salinity on ocean circulation and density patterns, in order to better understand how the ocean is responding to climatic change. While it is difficult to find significant changes due to the slow nature of environmental change, our field study allowed us to observe and record water characteristics as well as several water profile anomalies in the region surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula. As technology continues to improve and enables researchers like ourselves to share and access information with greater ease, it will be beneficial to compare oceanography data over time to observe trends and possible changes. We hope that our research and website will benefit others by providing more data to the scientific world and help improve awareness about the vital importance of preserving the Southern Polar region. Antarctica and the Southern Ocean play a critical role in maintaining the global ecosystems, and thus, we as humans must take measures to preserve the region and reduce our impact on global warming.