Blood Falls outflow of Taylor Glacier, in Lake Bonney (West Lobe). This iron-rich plume descends to depth annually, supplying trace metals to specific layers of the lake.
Our group’s interest broadly into how microbial communities evolve and develop led us to explore the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica in 2022 as part of the 40-year long-term ecological research (LTER) project sponsored at the time by Dr. John Priscu. In addition to the standard samples for aqueous geochemistry (think: concentrations of stuff across 4 different lakes), we additionally sampled for DNA to describe the communities existing in these lakes.
Andrew’s arrival in Antarctica.
Andrew using a drill to get through ~4 meters of ice to the lake water below. 
The glorious Lake Fryxell. Surface is frozen, but the bottom (~15 meters down) has loads of sulfide!
Not the worst accommodations. 
The field labs can be fairly spartan.
Alongside the fabulous researchers Jade Lawrence and Emily Reynebeau, Andrew was able to collect scads of samples for DNA, trace metals, isotopes of nitrogenous species, nitrous oxide, and alkalinity (the ability of water to buffer against changes in pH). Samples are still being processed, so stay tuned!
Polar Pride 2022, Lake Hoare outpost!
Lake Bonney camp! The ATVs are how we get around to the sampling sites and the structure is our common space for cooking, eating, and organizing our gear.