Carlos Moffat🌊❄️🧪 🇦🇶 Please share:
We have learned that the National Science Foundation is moving ahead with plans to decommission the U.S. Research Vessel/Ice Breaker Nathaniel B. Palmer this October.
If you care about Antarctic research, please read on (1/n)
Since 1968, the United States has always had at least one research vessel operating in Antarctica. Until last year, we had two.
If the Palmer is decommissioned, the U.S. would no longer have a dedicated research ship in Antarctica (2/n)
Even as we've built amazing new technology for remote and autonomous ocean research, there's no replacement for sending scientists on a ship to the Southern Ocean to collect data from the sea floor, the deep ocean, and the coastal regions on land. (3/n)
More than 100 scientists who work in Antarctica or care about having a strong U.S. research presence there have signed a letter calling for the U.S. to keep the Palmer in operation. (4/n)
If you're one of those scientists and want to add your name to this effort, please let us know. Link, current signatories and email contact to add your voice are here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Rk77rTtcZ_LSoqkTXh571_HxpMhfYDzoO6ZkE6ThU3k/edit?usp=sharing (5/n)
Antarctic Research Vessel Letter of Support
If you are a scientist interested in adding your name to our letter in support of the US Antarctic Program Research Vessel Capabilities, please email one of the following organizers by July 28th, 3:00 pm Eastern: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; or cmoffat@...
We are aiming to submit the letter to NSF early next week. Please reach out by Monday July 28th at 3pm Eastern if you'd like your name added.
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