The site provides background on the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) Project, an interdisciplinary study of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in a cold desert region of Antarctica. The site includes a brief overview of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, noting the importance in conducting long-term ecological research in these areas, and links to the National Science Foundation and the 1992 and 1998 McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER research proposals.