Steen V. Mogensen
                      email: mogensen@bellsouth.net

Updated 01-Oct-06

Going To Antarctica (2005 season)
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I finally got a chance to add the Antarctic continent to the list of places I have visited. 

In January of 2005 my company was contacted by Mark Johnston, a field researcher who is working for one of the worlds leading scientists in wildlife population dynamics, Dr. Robert (Bob) Garrott of Montana State University. He was interested in having us work on two projects to be used in Antarctica. One project was to come up with a way to get sonar data logged in a database for later analysis, and the other was to refine an already partly developed photographic solution for weight estimation of the Weddell seals in the Ross Sea area near McMurdo base in Antarctica.

The sonar project  required us finding a way to get the actual Sonar echo data out of a commercial fish finder and to get the data logged in a database on a computer. 
The research team intend to use the sonar system to study the prey fish, which the seals live off. While a lot of data has already been collected, over the last 30 years, about the seals themselves, very little is known about the dynamics of the prey fishes. Using the sonar, the team is hoping to be able to better study the changes in prey abundance and the effect this has on the seal population.
The fish finder manufacturers were less than willing to share their secrets with us, so we basically had to tap into the data stream and figure out the data format ourselves. This turned out to be a relatively easy task, and we were soon recording sonar ping echoes from our test setup in a 2 feet by 2 feet sink in our lab. Not exactly equivalent to the more than 1000 feet of water we are to work with on the ice, but enough to give us the confidence that we can record and interpret the data from the unit correctly.

The photo equipment task took a little more hardware development. A system had already been built and tested on the ice the previous 2 field seasons, but even after a couple of re-designs, there were still a number of problems with the equipment. The main complaint from the field researchers were that the system simply was not rugged enough for the harsh weather conditions in Antarctica. There were too many loose hanging wires and the connectors etc were simply not of a quality suited the application.
Another problem was that the camera was a normal off the shelf Nikon point-and-shoot camera which again was less than suited to the situation.
Handling the small connectors on the camera was almost impossible with heavy gloves on, and the camera itself did not like the temperatures, which are often -20C or lower.
A third, but major, problem was that the monitors used to preview the images, were not viewable in the strong sunlight which, to make it even more difficult, requires dark sunglasses worn at all times. 
Based mainly on our experience with military equipment, we completely redesigned the system to have military style connectors, be housed in a weather proof housing and to not require direct handling of the delicate cameras. The system is now controlled by an microcontroller and the camera housing as well as the control box housing is heated.
 
 

Photography:
On the photography side of things, this is of course a dream come true for me. For years, I have had a line in my resume saying that I have traveled to most parts of the world, but that I am still missing Antarctica. It was mostly meant as a joke, but now I will be able to delete that line! Is that neat or what!!

I have spent some time on the West coast of Greenland, and have of course had my camera gear with me, so I have had some experience with the cold climate and the weathers tendency to decide what the day is going to be like. My trips to Greenland have been in the winter time. First trip was in January - February 1991 and saw temperatures down to -35C. Back then, I was using Pentax equipment, and I quickly found that unless I took special precautions, I could not rely on the electronics in the cameras to function properly. The second trip was in October 2001, just after the 9/11 bombings, and this time I was using a Nikon F100 film and a Nikon CP990 digital with no technical problems at all.
Since then, a Nikon D100 digital have taken over the main space in my gear bag, so it will be interesting to see if this equipment holds up ok. Battery technology has certainly come a long way since my Pentax days, so hopefully there will not be too many problems keeping it all running.

Camp:
The research camp for this project is not in McMurdo itself, but about 16 miles away, out on the sea ice. When the team arrives in early October, the camp will be established by pulling a few insulated huts out on the ice. The camp has solar power, a generator and kitchen facility. There is a wireless data link to McMurdo, so it will be possible to get connected to the Internet when the weather is cooperative. I intend to make an effort to update this website with daily reports and images from the camp and hopefully of some of the wildlife and nature in the area.

The research team this season will consist of Kelly Proffitt, who is heading up the science project, Mark Johnston as the camp safety manager and 3 field researchers from Montana State University. Kelly and Mark have both been on the ice the previous 2 years. These 5 will be on the ice the entire season. Bob Garrott, the lead scientist on the research project, is going to be there from beginning of November until the end of the season. The original plan was for my business partner, Ward, and I to share the 7th spot on the team, such that Ward would be there from beginning of October until beginning of November, and I would take over for him at that time and stay until the end of the season in December. Unfortunately, due to events beyond our control, it didnt go quite like that and we had to change plans last minute so that I went for the entire season. Ward is now on schedule to go text year.

Preparations and how to get there:
Getting to Antarctica is not easy. Because of the remoteness, and the fact that weather might make it impossible to get in and out of the area for a while, the medical status requirements for people going there are pretty strict. The PQ process (Physical Qualification), includes a complete physical examination with a number of blood tests etc. Complete dental examination, including panoramic x-rays, are also required for identification purposes if it should ever be needed .... I am hoping it wont be!

Apart from the medical hassle, there is also a stack of paperwork to fill out so that the deployment people know who you are, what size clothes you need issued and how to get you from your hometown to the final destination in Antarctica.

The trip will take me from Atlanta in Georgia / US to Los Angeles. From there it is across the Pacific to Auckland in New Zealand and then on to Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand. Once in Christchurch, all the special Arctic clothes is issued and then you wait until the weather and flight schedule line up. This might take several days, so a hotel room is assigned while one waits for the call to go. 
The last leg of the trip is on a US Air force C17 transport plane down to the ice. It is not unusual that the flight get canceled shortly before takeoff, or even gets turned around enroute, because the weather conditions in McMurdo have changed to be unsafe. The plane lands on an improvised runway, on the ice.