RAPID: Hot-water Drilling through the McMurdo Ice Shelf to Support Under-ice Biological Investigations and Remote Sensing.

SIMPLE——海洋和行星生态系统的冰下调查，是一个大型的，主要由美国宇航局资助的项目，它将探索南极洲冰架底部的潜力，以支持充满活力的海洋生态系统，尽管持续黑暗。事实上，最近在冰下发现的“倒立”海葵刚刚被评为2013年十大新物种之一。这样的系统可能是遥远的、被冰覆盖的行星和卫星上生命的模拟。目前的合同将支持热水钻井，以便远程操作车辆（ROV）在即将到来的2014/2015年南极夏季野外季节对冰下进行调查。由于专业设备的供应时间有限，因此该合同作为RAPID合同得到支持。内布拉斯加州大学林肯分校在支持南极洲热水钻井系统方面拥有丰富的经验，并且继续使用UNL钻井人员有助于保持美国在这一专业技能方面的专业知识。美国国家科学基金会提供的设备与美国国家航空航天局支持的科学合作，代表了一种协同的联邦伙伴关系，以支持南极冰架底部这个独特栖息地的有趣科学。

SIMPLE- the Sub-ice Investigation of Marine and PLanetary Ecosystems, is a large, predominantly NASA-funded project that will explore the potential for the underside of Antarctica's ice shelves to support vibrant marine ecosystems, despite the constant darkness. A recently discovered "upside down" sea anemone from the underside of the ice was just named one of the top ten new species of 2013 in fact. Such systems could be an analog for life on distant, ice-covered planets and moons. The current award will support the hot-water drilling needed to allow a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to survey the underside of the ice during the upcoming Antarctic summer field season of 2014/2015. The award is supported as a RAPID because of the time-limited availability of specialized equipment.The University of Nebraska at Lincoln has extensive experience with supporting hot-water drilling systems in Antarctica, and continued use of the UNL drillers helps maintain US expertise in this specialized skill. The NSF provided equipment, teamed with the NASA supported science, represents a synergistic federal partnership to support interesting science in a unique habitat, the underside of Antarctic ice shelves.