Interview with Dr. Julian Gutt, Head of the Expedition, Alfred Wegener Institute of Polar and Marine Research (AWI)
What is your experience as a researcher in Antarctica?
Gutt: This is my 11th scientific expedition to the Antarctic since 1985 and I wrote approx. 60 publications on communities living at the sea-floor, krill and fish. I am a member of several steering committees, e.g. "Evolution and Biodiversity in the Antarctic" EBA, the new biological program of the "Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research" (SCAR), the "Census of Antarctic Marine Life" (CAML) and the national committee of the International Polar Year 2007/2008.
What are you and your team going to study specifically?
Gutt: My personal interest is closely linked to the ecosystem research of the entire CAML group on board. I work mainly with larger animals, how and why they coexist with a high biodiversity at the sea-floor. Of specific interest is the question what kind of life exists under the large, up to several hundred meters thick floating ice shelves which are connected to the huge Antarctic ice cap. A few years ago these ice shelves collapsed in the Larsen A/B area due to regional warming. Now and for the first time we have the opportunity to study life in such an area. During the disintegration of the ice shelves many icebergs calved and the question arises whether grounding icebergs only devastate life at the sea-floor or whether such disturbance contributes to a high biodiversity. A variety of different stages of recolonization within different communities can be expected …but up to what intensity of disturbance? Based on the data collected during this expedition we will try to predict the future of this fauna after environmental conditions changed so dramatically, using a computer-based modelling approach. The animals in this region are growing too slow to observe significant changes that have already been taken place since the disintegration of the ice shelves. In cooperation with Bremen University field work is conducted using a Remotely Operated Vehicle, which is an underwater robot equipped with video cameras to quantify, register and observe small-scale patterns and processes. The ROV is also equipped with a manipulator to collect specific animals or to sample sediment under visual guidance. I’m working with this modern imaging method since my first Antarctic expedition "A picture says more than a thousand words", but this information has to be converted to scientific data, which is a big challenge.
What are your main responsibilities as a chief scientist?
Gutt: I am the head of the scientific crew consisting of 52 persons on board. I have to manage the entire scientific program, this includes chairing meetings in which the detailed working plan for the next days will be discussed and finally decided. I have to control almost each cast of all sampling devices. If we have an almost 24 hours working day I can sleep for a while but I am on duty 24 hours per day. This means if anything unusual happens I have to wake up and find a solution. In other words I am in charge to make my colleagues happy with the best possible scientific program, which –on such a big ship- means to find the best possible compromise. All these activities have to be coordinated with the captain, Uwe Pahl, his first officer Uwe Grundmann, and the chief engineer "Ole" Ziemann. I’m supporting an eager outreach project in order to inform people interested in science and the taxpayer at home as well as the countries, which are home to the participants of this expedition. Finally, I would like to mention that each day as a chief scientist it is my pleasure to give my best to maintain a wonderful and peaceful atmosphere between the colleagues from 14 different countries from the Americas and Europe and the excellent cooperation between crew and scientists.
