There were twenty on this cruise, some from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville , and some from the University of Hawaii . And then there was me, a UT Knoxville writer working as a laboratory assistant. We planned to spend 21 days at sea. Dr. Walker Smith was the chief scientist for the University of Tennessee team. He explained to me why he and the other scientists had come to these Antarctic waters.
Phytoplankton are important to the world environment.
Like green plants on land, they engage in photosynthesis, removing carbon dioxide from the air and providing oxygen. Phytoplankton also provide food for many types of sea animals. Zooplankton, in turn, are eaten by penguins, seabirds, seals, fish, and whales. Dr. Smith and the other scientists aboard Polar Duke wanted to learn more about phytoplankton. They hoped to find a patch just beginning to bloom and study it as it grew.