Multimedia Gallery
Antarctic Wildlife--Adult Weddell seal
An adult Weddell seal relaxing on the sea ice near McMurdo Station.
More about this image
Weddell seals can reach almost 10 feet in length and nearly 1,000 pounds. At two weeks of age, they begin to lose their gray coat and over the next month, their coat becomes similar to an adults. Weddell seals are the most southerly mammal in the world.
Studies of Weddell seals is just one example of the many research projects supported by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP). Other Antarctic study areas are aeronomy and astrophysics, biology and medicine, geology and geophysics, glaciology, and ocean and climate systems. Outreach such as the Antarctic Artists and Writers program and education programs are also supported. NSF also maintains three U.S. research stations on the continent.
For more information about USAP, visit the program's website.
To view other Antarctic wildlife, search for "Antarctic wildlife" using the Multimedia Gallery's search engine. [Note: Please see "Special Restrictions" below regarding use of this image.] (Date of Image: Jan. 8, 2005)
Credit: Opher Ganel, University of Maryland; NSF
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