K014-7475

Evaluation and development of Priapulus Point, Cape Bird, Ross Island – Kirk and Harrowfield The purpose of this project was to gather data in the nature and composition of the depositional beach ridges that make up Priapulus Point at Cape Bird. It was initially hypothesised that the development pattern of the ridges reflects changing climate and deglaciation in the outer part of McMurdo Sound over the last few thousand years. There were to be two main data sources for the study, ie ground survey and aerial photography. It was envisaged that the work would require 3-4 weeks at Cape Bird. Functional morphology and growth of Paramoera walker –

P Sagar The field programme concentrated on growth morphology, growth relationships and feeding morphology. Aspects of the biology of Philodina gregaria –

Joy Woods Survival and fecundity, diurnal activities and the distribution in McMurdo Sound were all studied. Adelie penguin and McCormick skua studies –

C Paulin Observations were made on the behaviour and breeding success of penguins and skua in the areas of Cape Bird northern rookery subject to interference by humans. Interference being taken as man made objects or the presence of humans. Areas free of interference except for the observers’ presence were observed as controls. Thus the contents of 300 Adelie penguin and 24 McCormick skua nests were checked daily. Nutrient input to the sea from penguin colonies –

Grant Knight and Jo Knight The objects of this season’s work were twofold: (1) to investigate the presence and extent of interstitial meiofauna that developed in the sandy beach when the push-ice has melted or rafted out, and (2) to investigate the nutrient levels, particularly of reactive nitrate, in the meltwater streams that flow from the ice face and down across the moraine at Cape Bird. We also analysed the water immediately offshore for reactive phosphate.

Paul M Sagar (Leader/marine zoologist), GS Knight (Deputy Leader/marine ecologist), Jo Knight (marine ecologist), Joy Woods (Limnologist), CD Paulin (Ornithologist), RM Kirk (Geomorphologist), DL Harrowfield (Field assistant), W King (Field assistant)