Starting to go insane from the endless repetition so here is a Q&A to sort out the most basic questions. Not that I blame anyone for asking questions, I’m pretty sure I have tired out the Antarctica veterans from my team by asking the same old questions they’ve been hearing from the rookies for the past 19 years.
What’s my job? A VSC (Volontaire Service Civique i.e. volunteer civil service year) with the French Polar Institute called IPEV i.e. Institut Paul Émile Victor.
What’s my job exactly? Mainly observing the colony, taking daily notes and stalking penguins deemed “interesting”(from a scientific point of view, not because Steve the penguin has a quirky personality). Also chipping all the chicks born this year (similar to chips implanted in cats or dogs) and then checking that the antennas work well (basically I’m the conspiracy nightmare of penguins, Big Brother ain’t got nothing on me). Some extra work will entail acoustic measurements and sampling from naturally deceased penguins.
What’s the use of this? Long story short because worldwide penguin population is rapidly declining and we want to research the long term evolution of the Antavia colony to draw wider conclusions on the other colonies. This has for goal to make us understand more precisely the physiology and reproductive cycles of Adelie and Emperor penguins which is essential knowledge before undertaking any conservation efforts.
Where? How long? Approximately 14 months in Dumont d’Urville in Terre Adélie. Fun fact my predecessor aka the person in charge of Project 137 on the field last year, whom I will be replacing, is named Adélie.
That’s a long time, are you not nervous? Si si, I mean who wouldn’t be, at least a bit. But it’s also the opportunity of a lifetime and a career dream ever I’ve had ever since I started being seriously interested in applying for the next round of astronaut selection. Also its most marine biologist’s dream.
Who are you working with? My boss in charge of Project 137 with the CNRS and the Monaco research center. As well as several other scientists during the summer campaign (Phd and Undergrad students), and with the other penguin expert on the base who will be in charge of a different project during the winter-over.
How are you getting there? From Tasmania. The usual route is to take the boat Astrolabe from Hobart to Terre Adélie and then fly with the helicopter for 2 minutes (the base is on an island during summer). This year, both penguin scientists are going by plane: so we will fly from Hobart to Mario Zuchelli (the Italian Antarctic base situated in Terra Nova) and then to DDU.
Have you seen Atypical? Yup yup (fun fact: I tried painting with a friend the same bird graffiti in an abandoned pool, it’s much harder than it seems; no worries it's not illegal)
Have you seen « La marche des empereurs » ? Not yet
Have you read/seen [insert random article/documentary/youtube video on penguins or anything remotely related to Antarctica…or the Arctic]? Probably not …well rather not yet ;)
Small fail