THE RIGHT STUFF ( clockwise from right )
Meir completes spacewalk training in NASA ’ s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory ; visiting with her former advisors at Scripps : researcher Paul Ponganis ( left ) and research physiologist Jerry Kooyman ; underwater ( and under ice ) at Penguin Ranch at McMurdo Station , Antarctica .
Meir grew up in the small New England town of Caribou , Maine , deeply connected to nature . She credits her parents — her Israeli father and particularly her Swedish mother — for that connection , which put her on the path to science , starting with a bachelor ’ s degree in biology from Brown University in 1999 . With sights set on space exploration , she attended the International Space University in France and thereafter supported human physiology experiments at NASA ’ s Johnson Space Center in Houston . In 2003 , she came to Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego ( SIO ), eager to study marine biology with prominent professors Paul Ponganis and Jerry Kooyman , who became her degree advisors . “ Not only are they at the top of their field and amazing scientists , they ’ re just really good people ,” says Meir . “ And for me , as a graduate student starting out , that made a huge difference because they treated me like a person and they also cared about me as a person . They weren ’ t just focused on science .”
Her research at Scripps concerned deep-diving mammals and birds , and the physiological qualities that allow them to live in some of the harshest conditions on Earth . This curiosity led her straight into those conditions
herself , as she performed five research expeditions in Antarctica to study these animals , especially emperor penguins — the deepest diving birds on the planet . The regally colored penguins are known to go as deep as 500 meters , or 1,640 feet . Meir studied the penguins ’ diving heart rate , specifically their unique bradycardia , or slowing of the heart rate , a trait that allows them to stay underwater for long periods of time to catch more fish , travel under sheets of ice or escape predators .
“ Emperor penguins can dive deeper and longer than any other bird , and yet they ’ re air breathers just like us . They can tolerate extremely low levels of oxygen ,” says Meir . Her team researched the extent of this tolerance by documenting the penguin ’ s heart rate beat by beat . During one 18-minute dive , for instance , they recorded a period in which the bird ’ s heart beat only six times per minute . Contrast that with a penguin ’ s heart rate recorded moments after surfacing , a whopping 256 beats per minute .
The ability to handle these extremes shows a remarkable tolerance for oxygen depletion , and understanding such ability could even translate to humans . “ When humans experience heart attacks and strokes , they undergo low levels of oxygen ,” says Meir . “ Understanding how animals can tolerate these extremely low levels might help us figure out how to prevent human tissues from being damaged during low levels of oxygen .”
Beyond the scientific aptitude , her Antarctic research endeavors required an expeditionary spirit , the willingness to work hard with a good dose of grit and determination in adverse conditions . “ You might have an experiment you ’ re ready to tackle ,” she says , “ but it will take
Photo : Bill Stafford , NASA
38 TRITON | WINTER 2020