STEP Reflection- Antarctica Study Abroad

On December 15th of 2017, I went on the adventure of my lifetime to the magnificent and remote continent of Antarctica. I went to Antarctica along with other students from The Ohio State University as part of a class titled “Antarctica Study Abroad” (ENR 5797.10). I remember scrolling down OSU’s study abroad website a year ago and picking New Zealand and Antarctica as my top study abroad programs. It did not take me long to decide that Antarctica would be the most exciting and life-changing trip that I could ever go to. So, I enrolled in ENR 5797.10 because I craved adventure and I wanted to learn about Antarctic wildlife first-hand. In the ENR 5797.10 class, we learned about the history, geology, ecology, and ecotourism of the Antarctic continent. As part of our midterm assignment, we had to choose between the seabird, ecotourism and iceberg modules to work on during our time on the continent. I chose to be part of the seabird conservation module. I worked with my team members on gathering data of the different bird species observed throughout our journey from Ushuaia, Argentina to Antarctica and back. Observations were taken on the bridge of the ship, the Akademik Ioffe, from December 19 through December 26 of 2017. I learned a lot about Antarctic seabird identification, behavior, and conservation through observations, lectures, group discussions, and my time in field excursions. Most importantly, I learned more about myself during this time. I learned that working with animals and studying them is my passion. My time in Antarctica inspired me to pay respect to the Earth and all of its creatures by moving from a vegetarian towards a vegan diet. My time in Antarctica was a time of reflection and personal growth.

All of the field excursions that we went on as a group, were relevant to my seabird project and subgroup of Sphenisciformes (Penguins) because we interacted with penguins on a daily basis. On December 21st of 2017, we went on an excursion to Oren Harbor. There, we visited a colony of Chinstrap Penguins. Many of them were protecting an egg from the Skuas and waiting for their mates to come back from the sea. I was lucky to see a Chinstrap Penguin exchange an egg with its mate and then leave to the sea. On lecture 6 titled “Antarctic Birds”, Dr. Carey talked about penguin parental investment. Dr. Carey mentioned how female and male penguins take turns between going to sea for food and taking care of their offspring on land. It was amazing to see that with my own eyes and understand the purpose behind the observation. That same day we watched a Skua steal a penguin egg and eat it by the side of the Chinstrap Penguin colony. It was a tragic sight, but it brought me back to Dr. Carey’s lecture on Antarctic Birds. I remember Dr. Carey saying that Skuas were vicious creatures and that they were the only predators of penguins on land. Every place with a penguin colony that we visited had at least one Skua flying over the penguin colony. I realized that even though Skuas are not the nicest animals, they are highly important in the ecosystem. Without Skuas, penguin populations would grow exponentially and the Antarctic food chain would be disrupted.

   On other excursions, I was able to observe and learn about other penguin behaviors such as building nests, mating, and fighting with each other over rocks and territory.  In terms of conservation threats, I learned that Adélie penguins are of the most concern because they require more sea ice for survival than other Antarctic penguin species. The warming of the Antarctic Peninsula over the last decade has decreased the amount of sea ice available for penguins to rest on when they are away from their colonies at sea. As a result, Adélie Penguin populations have decreased in size within the last decade and Chinstrap Penguins have taken over areas that used to belong to Adélie Penguins (Soper, 2017). Chinstrap Penguins do best in places with low amounts of sea ice, but the mechanism explaining this is still misunderstood by the scientific community. I noticed that Oren Harbor, the location of a Chinstrap penguin colony that we visited, had little to no sea ice nearby. Global warming is not something politicians makeup, it is a real phenomenon. Global warming is the reason why certain penguin populations in Antarctica are gradually decreasing due to reduced amounts of sea ice available for them to thrive on.

   The main goal of the seabird field project was to observe, record data on, and learn about Sphenisciformes (penguins), Procellariiformes (tubenoses: albatross, petrels, shearwaters, diving petrels, and storm-petrels), Pelecaniformes (shags, and cormorants), and Charadriiformes (gulls, skuas, terns, and sheathbills).  We worked as a team to gather data on bird observations four times a day (before breakfast, before lunch, before dinner, and after dinner) for 15-minute slots. During each time slot, we recorded bird identifications and bird counts in the following locations: The Beagle Channel, The Drake Passage, and around the Antarctic Peninsula. We observed the largest amount of birds while we were crossing The Drake Passage because rough seas are advantageous for seabirds. Big waves stir the waters and move nutrients and fish closer to the surface of the water where they are more accessible to the seabirds. The majority of seabird species stay within their range. For example, no penguins were observed north of the Antarctic convergence because the water temperatures are much warmer there.

   The first excursion and landing in Antarctic soil was a significant day for me. That day in Oren Harbor was my awakening. I realized just how majestic, pristine, and breathtaking nature actually is when it is untouched by human civilization. I told myself that I want to do everything in my power to help Antarctica stay that way. I want to reduce my carbon footprint in this world and inspire those around me to do so as well. Later during the excursion, I saw a Skua steal a penguin egg and eat it in front of my eyes. It was not a pleasant thing to see, but it helped me come to a realization. Penguins and chickens are both birds. Penguins and chickens have many similar sounds and behaviors. In multiple occasions, during field excursions, I would hear penguins make sounds that were very similar to chicken sounds. So why is it morally acceptable to eat one and not the other? We are all being Skuas to chickens because we eat the eggs that are meant to develop into chicks. We are even worse than Skuas because eating eggs is a dietary choice we make, not a behavior we are born with or something we cannot live without. As humans, we have the choice to make moral decisions. Humans are mammals with dietary plasticity. We are not born carnivores, herbivores or omnivores. We have a choice. Ever since that day I chose to remove eggs from my diet, not only because it is the most moral thing to do, but also because it is a very sustainable course of action.  

My time in Antarctica observing and learning about the wildlife reinforced my passion for biological conservation and working with animals. I enjoyed learning about the whales, seals, and the seabirds of Antarctica. I wish that this study abroad was longer in days so I could gain a deeper understanding of Antarctica’s wildlife. I encourage students who are interested in the fields of biology and environmental studies to consider applying to this study abroad. It is truly a once in a lifetime experience.

   In conclusion, Antarctica was a time of learning and personal growth for me. I enjoyed learning about Antarctic seabirds and interacting with Sphenisciformes (Penguins) on field excursions. Antarctica helped me reflect on the morality of my food choices and as a result, I decided to shift from a vegetarian towards a vegan diet. Ever since Antarctica, I know without a doubt that I want to work with animals in the future; whether that is going to Vet school or working with a group of wildlife conservation.