Scientific Expedition

First Expedition of the Rio Seco Museum of Natural History

The First Expedition of the Rio Seco Museum of Natural History left Punta Arenas, Chile, aboard the Quixote Expedition ship M/Y Hans Hansson on November 16, 2018. Led by museum co-founder Benjamin Caceres, twelve scientists, photographers and videographers, accompanied trip sponsors Liz Lewis and Gifford Hickey from Springcreek Conservation, and Captain Fede and his crew on the exploratory voyage. The scientists from Chile, Sweden and the United States, will be making observations and collecting data and samples. Photographers and videographers will document the trip and assist with data collection using hand held cameras and drones. The three week expedition will include data collection at Bahia Gente Grande, Isla Marta, Isla Dawson, Bahia Inútil, and Seno Almirantazgo, Caleta Jackson, Parry Fjord, Ainsworth Bay, and Brookes Bay.

Data collection will include photo identification of Commerson’s Dolphins, Sei Whales, Elephant and Leopard Seals; census and condition assessment of Southern Sea Lion and Imperial Cormorant colonies; studies of trophic ecology including collecting sediment and plankton samples; and studies of forest ecology and historical cultural use of trees, including collecting of core samples from trees and other assessments of current and historic forest condition and historical cultural use of trees.

Tuesday November 20 scientists collected samples of plankton in the water column and sediment samples from the bottom at three locations in Bahia Inútil. Wednesday scientists visited Parque Natural Karukinka, observed Elephant Seals in Bahia Jackson and along Rio Jackson and collected feces samples and photographs. Some scientists hiked to a waterfall, explored the forest and then observed guanaco from the ship anchored in Bahia Blanca while other scientists explored the forest to look for sacred trees and trees scars from historic human use.

Stay Tuned for more updates….

– Linda