The distribution of Adélie penguins along the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) is spatially heterogeneous. Large Adélie colonies occur spatially in regions characterized by deep seafloor canyons. Often associated with these regions is persistent upwelling of warm, nutrient-rich UCDW, which is hypothesized to provide a predictable food resource close to the colonies such that they can be accessed by the penguins given their limited foraging range. To assess how these upwelling events stimulate biological activity, we have initiated robotic surveys of the canyon offshore Palmer Station Antarctica. We utilize the Webb Slocum glider, which is a buoyancy driven vehicle capable of conducting sustained missions in the ocean. We deployed a glider to survey the physical hydrography and phytoplankton biology for 2 weeks in December 2008. During the mission a phytoplankton bloom along the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) was encountered in the surface waters of the offshore canyon. The water associated with the phytoplankton appeared to be a mixture of Upper Circumpolar Deep Water (UCDW from the core of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current) and WAP Winter Water (WW). The deep water had a unique signature of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), which was diluted in the surface waters presumably by the WW. Phytoplankton concentrations were almost an order of magnitude higher within the upwelled water. These highly productive waters were with the foraging range of radio-tagged Adélie penguins supporting the hypothesis that upwelling associated canyons provides a fertile zone for foraging. These robotic surveys will be expanded in the coming years to link regionally the physical forcing of the WAP ecosystem.