BIG RED

Down here, Big Red is your best friend. Big Red blocks the icy winds and keeps you warm.

Sometimes it's hard to keep track of one particular Big Red, as there are so many other big reds about. When not being worn, Big Red is hung on a rack, along with many other big reds. It's a bit like parking a car in a WalMart parking lot or a 10-story parking garage. You'd better remember which spot you left it in, or it may take awhile to find it!

I'll miss Big Red when I'm back home.

TODAY SHOW BROADCASTS LIVE FROM MCMURDO

Ann Curry, a correspondent for NBC's Today Show, broadcasted live this morning from McMurdo Station. Her broadcast formed part of a chain of live broadcasts from the Arctic, Equator, and Antarctic billed as "Ends of the Earth," which focus on the issue of global warming. This is the first time that a live broadcast of this sort has been made. There will be two more live broadcasts, which will show on Tuesday and Wednesday morning in the US (middle of the night here). The crew have been filming down here for about a week, and indicated that the broadcasts will include stories about the various science projects going on down here, including ANDRILL. Stay tuned!

BEST FISHES FROM ANTARCTICA

On the lower level of the Crary Science and Engineering Laboratory is a room full of sea water tanks that house some of the fish and invertebrates that live offshore (and under the sea ice).

My favorite is the Antarctic Toothfish (aka Antarctic Cod). These guys have adapted to the extreme cold in some curious ways. They have antifreeze proteins in their tissues and blood because the seawater is colder than the normal freezing point of tissue. They have a very slow metabolism, with a heartbeat once every six seconds. These cods have a lifespan of about 40 years and can reach lengths of over 6 ft and weights that exceed 250 pounds!

The toothfishes in the Crary tanks will come up to the surface to say hello. These are young ones, less than a foot in length, caught offshore in about 500 ft of water. Aren’t they cute?