IMIS

In March and April of 2008, samples were taken at several sites in the East Amundsen and southern Bellingshausen Seas. This area was previously the least sampled sea around Antarctica and its biggest biogeographic gap. The work included benthic marine biology, marine geological and geophysical investigations. RRS James Clark Ross became the first UK vessel to reach Pine Island Bay, ventured further west than ever before and collected the first biological samples from the Amundsen Sea. Samples were collected using Agassiz Trawl, Epibenthic sledge, box core and, in the water column, water samples on a CTD rosette. In view of the large amount of passage time required to reach some of the remote study sites it was clear that many days of ship time could be saved by combining different activities into a single multidisciplinary cruise. The different science teams worked together to give greater context to all work. The data and samples collected on the cruise are currently being analysed and should provide key insights into the distribution and diversity of benthic marine fauna on the Pacific margin of Antarctica and the stability (or instability) of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet during the late Quaternary. The work carried out on the cruise contributed to several International Polar Year programmes.