Scientists need to be very flexible when working in the field.  Things don’t always go as planned and new plans have to be made, often quickly.  The Chief Scientist on the expedition is usually the one to make the decision.  He/she must consider all the other scientists and their research while thinking and planning what to do next.  On the Healy, plans have shifted many times.  The weather conditions sometimes make it difficult to keep on course.   Just recently, the Healy was trying to go South.  The wind was blowing from the east pushing the ice toward the west.  The ice was forcing the ship west making it difficult to move.  The Healy progressed only 1 mile in 12 hours!   The ship wasn’t able to get to the station for sampling, so the Chief Scientist had to make a new plan.

As children we’re told not to lie.  Scientists have used this to make fun of how often plans have to be changed while doing field research.  In the Main Lab on the Healy is a whiteboard.  The Chief Scientist writes what time each research instrument will be lowered into the water for sampling.  But sometimes, what actually happens, is not the way it was written on the whiteboard- that is why it is jokingly called, “The Board of Lies.”

Ship Tracks Being Pushed By Wind and Ice