VT College of Science Quarterly August 2014 Vol. 2 No. 1 | Page 9

Photo by Lori Blanc

were on board and they counted the number
of penguin breeding pairs within each colony
to assess the population status of each species.
They estimated that we saw 24,000 penguins
during our expedition. The work of Oceanites
is vital in determining how these species, and
others will respond to tourism and global
warming. You can learn more about Oceanites
here.

Dec. 27:

Today was our last full day on the ship and
the day when student groups gave presentations on their research projects to the other
passengers. An announcement was made over
the loud speaker that it was time for “Academics on the Akademik (Vavilov),” which is the
title the crew had given our groups. The room

quickly filled up with passengers; some even
had to sit on the floor. It was the most well attended presentation of the trip.
We were in the first group to present. Our
presentation focused on how pelagic bird
diversity changed with increasing latitude (the
“latitudinal diversity gradient”). We presented
data on the types, abundance and diversity of
birds seen while aboard. The ecotourism group
presented data on the IAATO boot washing protocol, tourist’s carbon footprints, and
other factors related to tourism in Antarctica.
One student from Brown University, Shreena
Thakore, presented her independent study
project on the history of gender identity within
Antarctic exploration and how these roles have
changed over time.
We were all quite relieved once the presentations had finished. Afterwards, we
relaxed in the lounge until it was time
to go back to the presentation room and
watch the Voyage recap slide show that
Beck and Ira Meyer, One Ocean photographer, compiled using photos from
both staff and passengers. We loved
seeing the funny and beautiful pictures
people had taken, but it made us sad
our adventure was coming to a close.

n, flank research scientist Lori Blanc of the Virginia Tech Department of Bio009 and has been running it annually since.

Dec. 28:

On our last morning on the Vavilov,
we packed our bags after breakfast and
readied ourselves for our disembarkation. Going down the gangway for the
final time was sad. It was strange to be
leaving the family that had been created onboard. Everyone in our group

got onto the bus and headed back to Hostel
Yakush.
Today we had an “academic debriefing” and
group discussion of our readings. During our
debriefing, we were asked to write down in
a single word how we felt after coming back
from Antarctica. It was difficult to explain our
feelings. There was a certain longing, almost
as though something was missing or lost. To
be in such awe and experience something so
profound and new, only to come back and
have the normal hustle and bustle of a city is a
difficult transition to make. However, discussing it with our group eased this feeling since
we were all feeling similar emotions.
The rest of the afternoon was a free day.
Some students hiked up to a local glacier
while others explored Ushuaia and did some
late Christmas shopping. Those who went on
the hike to the glacier said that this was one of
on the highlights of their trip.

Dec. 29:

Today was our last full day in Ushuaia,
Argentina. We traveled by bus to the Tierra
del Fuego National Park. When we arrived
at the National Park, our faculty leader, Lori
Blanc, research scientist with the department
of biological sciences in the College of Science,
suggested we taste an edible orange fungus
that grew on many of the trees. Some thought
it tasted terrible but others who tried it did not
find that it had a flavor. The tour guide took
us on several small hikes where we did some
landscape photography and learned about the
flora and fauna of the region.
After returning from the park, some of us
chose to go to a marine mammal museum.
Others stayed behind to explore Ushuaia and
get some coursework done.
The mammal bone museum was called
Mueso Akatushun. We saw many bones of
species that we had seen over the past week in
Antarctica. These bones allowed us to appreciate the sheer size of animals we were not able
to see up close, such as humpback whales. The
museum staff was researching metal content
in marine mammal bones and determining
food sources based on bone material.
We spent the rest of the evening exploring
Ushuaia, packing and attending the group
farewell dinner, and preparing to fly back to
the United States the following morning. We
appreciate the friendships we made on this
journey and the opportunity to have experienced Antarctica!
FEBRUARY 2014

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