The Mission
Cruise NBP 23-03
Our team of 30 scientists who study the biology of marine invertebrate animals (i.e., animals without backbones) and microbes will board the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer in Lyttleton, New Zealand on 4 March 2023 and embark on a two-month voyage to Antarctica ending in Capetown, South Africa on 3 May 2023. During the expedition, we will sample and study marine invertebrates and microbes living in some of the most remote but fastest changing seas on the planet. The team will explore the biodiversity, evolution, and biogeographic patterns of animals and microbes living in the Eastern Antarctic using morphological and molecular tools to assess Antarctic biodiveristy, unrecognized genetic variation, and patterns of relatedness between populations of marine Antarctic species.
Our team includes members from several different institutions funded by several different grants from the United States National Science Foundation. Details on the funded projects we will be working on during the cruise are below and more information on the scientific team can be found on the Participants page.
This research would not be posible without the expertise and dedication of the ship's crew from Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) and personnel from the United States Antarctic Program (USAP).
Our team of 30 scientists who study the biology of marine invertebrate animals (i.e., animals without backbones) and microbes will board the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer in Lyttleton, New Zealand on 4 March 2023 and embark on a two-month voyage to Antarctica ending in Capetown, South Africa on 3 May 2023. During the expedition, we will sample and study marine invertebrates and microbes living in some of the most remote but fastest changing seas on the planet. The team will explore the biodiversity, evolution, and biogeographic patterns of animals and microbes living in the Eastern Antarctic using morphological and molecular tools to assess Antarctic biodiveristy, unrecognized genetic variation, and patterns of relatedness between populations of marine Antarctic species.
Our team includes members from several different institutions funded by several different grants from the United States National Science Foundation. Details on the funded projects we will be working on during the cruise are below and more information on the scientific team can be found on the Participants page.
This research would not be posible without the expertise and dedication of the ship's crew from Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) and personnel from the United States Antarctic Program (USAP).
The Ship
Our home during cruise will be the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer. The Palmer is a 94-meter research ship with icebreaking capability. For more information on the ship, visit the USAP Vessel Science and Operations page.
Our Institutions and Laboratories
Funding
Social Media
Follow the hashtag #IcyInverts on Twitter and check out our individual and lab social media handles on the Participants page. We will make every effort to keep our follwers posted on what's going on during the cruise but internet access will be limited in the Eastern Antarctic so we may be unable to do this at times.