March 2007 – Volume Fourteen, Number Three

EXPEDITION NEWS, now in its 13^th year, is the monthly review of significant expeditions, research projects and newsworthy adventures. It is distributed online to media representatives, corporate sponsors, educators, research librarians, explorers, environmentalists, and outdoor enthusiasts. This forum on exploration covers projects that stimulate, motivate and educate.

Ballard's Telepresence Project to Unlock Undersea Secrets of Gulf Marine Sanctuary

Early this month, ocean explorer Dr. Robert Ballard and an interdisciplinary team of scientists will explore the undersea landscape of NOAA's Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. One of the 13 U.S. national marine sanctuaries, the sanctuary is located approximately 115 miles off the Texas/Louisiana coast. Named for its colorful corals and sponges, it was targeted for exploration because of its unique geology and biology. The sanctuary's geological history also makes it a viable location to search for signs of early human habitation that could predate current evidence of North America's first inhabitants.

This expedition represents a collaboration between the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Institute for Exploration (IFE), Immersion Presents, the University of Rhode Island and the U.S. Navy. During the week-long expedition, a team of geologists, biologists and marine archaeologists will use two ships, a nuclear-powered research submarine, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and scuba divers to explore coral reefs, brine seeps, mud volcanoes and ancient shorelines.

"This will be an important and exciting expedition to a little known area in the Gulf with unique biological and geological features - an area that we hope will reveal details about human habitation on ancient shorelines thousands of years ago when sea level was much lower due to the ice age," said Ballard, professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island and president of the Institute for Exploration at the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration in Connecticut.

Researchers will also explore the physical connections that provide protective cover for animals traveling between individual geologic features. "This is a rare opportunity to explore the system of 'hidden highways' that connects the Flower Garden Banks ecosystem with other reefs and banks in the area," stated George Schmahl, superintendent of the sanctuary.

Deep-water exploration of the sanctuary will be made possible by the U.S. Navy's NR-1 - the nation's only nuclear-powered submarine dedicated to underwater research. Supported by the 238-foot SSV Carolyn Chouest, the NR-1 carries video cameras, sample-collection equipment and tools to map the sea floor.

The expedition team will employ state-of-the-art "telepresence" technology to enable students, educators, scientists and the general public to follow the Secrets of the Gulf expedition 24/7 in real-time. Principal investigators Ballard and McBride will use this same telepresence technology to lead the expedition from a remote science console based at Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration. (For more information: OceansLive.org or ImmersionPresents.org)

Bancroft Jumps on Global Warming Bandwagon

Will Steger dedicates his Baffin expedition to global warming (see related story), and now former Steger teammate Ann Bancroft is co-leading her own global warming expedition. Minnesota explorer Ann Bancroft, 51, and Norwegian explorer Liv Arnesen, 53, are once again preparing for a grueling polar expedition. The project departs this month on a 530-mi. journey from Canada's Ward Hunt Island to the North Pole, traveling on foot, towing sleds and occasionally swimming.

When they reach the North Pole 60 days in, they will reportedly become the first women to reach both poles without re-supply. From there, Bancroft and Arnesen will ski another two weeks to the TARA, a French research vessel drifting in the Arctic pack ice.

They're calling this trip "Explore Arctic Warming 2007." It's designed to help students understand how the Arctic climate is changing and what effect global warming is having on the area and its wildlife.

Last month, dozens of volunteers and supporters gathered to pack the food the two will need for their 75-day expedition. Among the items being packed: 90 cans of Pringles, 180 energy and breakfast bars, 12 cans of hot chocolate, 190 bags of soup, 25 lbs. of nuts, coffee, sugar, toilet paper and batteries.

During their expedition, each woman will need to eat between 5,000 and 6,000 calories a day just to maintain their energy while cross-country skiing 12-16 hours a day in the arctic cold. (For more information: BancroftArnesenExplore.com)

EXPEDITION UPDATE

Climb for Peace Film Seeks Sponsor

Last year, The Everest Peace Project conducted a history-making Everest expedition, a "Climb for Peace" that was comprised of people of different faiths and cultures, including Palestinian and Israeli men (See EN, September 2006). The most touching part of the climb, in which 10 summitted, was when Israeli Dudu Yifrah unfolded a joint Palestinian/Israeli flag on the summit of Everest and dedicated his ascent to his friend and Palestinian climbing partner, Ali Bushnaq.

This moment and indeed the entire expedition was captured on film. An award-winning filmmaker is currently producing the documentary, and recently His Holiness the Dalai Lama endorsed the expedition and the film calling it a "tremendous achievement." Filmed on location in seven different countries, including Palestine and Israel, the filmmaker, founder and executive director of the Everest Peace Project is currently beating the bushes for "finishing funds" to complete the project. (For more information: (+1) 503-547-3089; EverestPeaceProject.org)

"Mars With Snow" - Steger Baffin Island Expedition Heads to Pangnirtung

At press time, the Global Warming 101 Expedition was northeast of Iqaluit, Nunavut, approximately 40 miles headed toward Pangnirtung (see EN, June 2006). In an audio dispatch from the trail, team leader Will Steger reports the scene is like "Mars with snow."

New to the team is Sir Richard Branson, the world adventurer and outspoken environmentalist, who is accompanied by his son Sam as Steger leads a dog team across 1,200 miles of the island's scenery to five remote villages: living among the Inuit natives, tracking weather patterns, and filming the profound changes that warming has wrought upon the local environment and wildlife. The expedition culminates in May 2007 in the town of Iglulik with a finale featuring "unplugged" performances by major musical artists, to be announced. (See related story below).

Commenting on the journey, Virgin Founder Sir Richard Branson said, "My son, Sam, and I are very much looking forward to the project and will both learn a lot as well as having a fantastic adventure at the same time. Through our interest in the environment and space we have seen the frightening satellite images from NASA of the rapid decline in the arctic ice cover over the last decade and hope that the journey will contribute something to raising awareness of the uncertainties, risks and effects of climate change …"

EXPEDITION NOTES

New Species Exposed by Collapse of Antarctic Ice Shelves – An expedition under the collapsed Larsen ice shelves in Antarctica has revealed the impact of climate change on one of the Earth's most pristine areas. A marine habitat previously protected for thousands of years by a roof of ice had been bombarded with giant icebergs that scour the sea floor, scientists found. Deep-sea species of sea squirts and sponges have begun to colonize the region since the shelves disintegrated in 1995 and 2002.

The 10-week expedition, part of the international Census of Marine Life (coml.org), discovered new species in the icy waters, including a giant crustacean. The census manager, Victoria Wadley of the Australian Government Antarctic Division, said the polar regions were experiencing a greater rate of climate change than elsewhere on the planet.

"There is an urgent need to establish the state of the marine communities and their biodiversity now, so we can understand the impact of future change," Dr Wadley said. Thirteen more voyages are planned as part of the project during International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008, the largest internationally coordinated scientific research effort in 50 years, which officially got underway on March 1.

More than 10,000 square kilometers of sea floor have been exposed by the collapse of the Larsen A and B ice shelves after a 2.5 degree rise in the local temperature since the 1940s.

The census leader, Michael Stoddart of the Antarctic division, said the loss of sea ice had reduced the amount of algae growing underneath it, which fed the krill that sustained larger animals such as penguins, whales and seals.

"Algae is utterly central to the health of the whole ecosystem," Professor Stoddart said. The survey was conducted by an international team of 52 scientists aboard a German research vessel between November and the end of January. They filmed the sea floor using a remotely operated submersible and collected more than 1,000 species from sediments up to 850 meters below the surface.

"We were in the unique position to sample wherever we wanted in a marine ecosystem considered one of the least disturbed by humankind," said the expedition's chief scientist, Julian Gutt. "Until now scientists have glimpsed life under Antarctica's ice shelves only through drill holes."

They found lots of sea lilies and their relatives, sea cucumbers and sea urchins, in the shallower waters. Another find was a sea anemone that lives on the back of a snail. Minke whales had also taken advantage of the breakup of the shelves to move into new habitat, the team said.

Mugs Stump Award Winners Announced – Five climbing teams are recipients of the Mugs Stump Award. Created in 1992 in memory of Mugs Stump, one of North America's most visionary climbers, the award annually grants $12,000 to small teams pursuing climbing objectives that exemplify light, fast and clean alpinism. This year's winners are:

• Colin Haley and Jed Brown who propose a first ascent of the Hidden Pillar (Southwest Pillar) of Ultar Sar (7388m), located in the Hunsa Valley of Pakistan. The pillar, which rises 3200m from base to summit, has been attempted three times before, all well short of the summit.
  
  
• Maxime Turgeon and Louis-Philippe Menard will use their award money to fund a proposed first ascent of the North Face of K6 to its west summit. K6 (7281m) is located in the Charakusa Valley of Pakistan and has been climbed twice before, but no attempts have been made on its North Face.
  
  
• Josh Wharton and Bean Bowers won Stump funding with a proposed first ascent of the North Ridge of Latok 1 (7145m), located between the Choktoi and Biafo Glaciers, Pakistan. The 2450m ridge of snow, ice, and rock has been attempted more than 20 times since 1979, and remains one of the great prizes of the Karakoram.
  
  
• Cory Richards and Ammon Walsh propose a first ascent of the Southeast Face of Huantsan (6369m), located in Peru's Cordillera Blanca.
  
  
• Freddie Wilkinson, Kevin Mahoney and Ben Gilmore will receive funding for a planned first ascent of the South Face of The Fin (4000m), located on the remote Yetna Glacier, Alaska. The face is an estimated 1,500 meters of technical mixed climbing, and the peak itself, south of Mount Foraker in the Central Alaska Range, has only seen two recorded ascents since 1934.
  
  Stump was best known for his first ascent of the Emperor Face on Mount Robson in the Canadian Rockies and a triptych of Alaskan climbs - the East Face of the Moose's Tooth, the Moonflower Buttress on Mount Hunter and a one-day solo of Denali's Cassin Ridge. He sought out striking and highly technical objectives, preferably first ascents, in some of the most remote mountains of the world. Stump viewed climbing as a celebration of boldness, purity and simplicity.