Going to Antarctica, but Still Waiting for News from the US Program

Earlier this week, Tyler and I heard that the New Zealand Antarctic program will pick us up if the US Antarctic Program has to cancel our field season due to the US government shutdown.  This is fantastic news.  We'll be able to work with our New Zealand colleague (Ian Hawes) on the Lake Vanda project, including the planned diving.

We still haven't heard whether or not our field work at Lake Joyce, sponsored by the US program, will go forward.  We have offered to cut it way back or even postpone the work to the following year.  However, we will still need cargo, equipment and sampling support from the US for the Lake Vanda part of the project.  Many of these needs take months of advanced planning, and we can't necessarily redo all of that in the short time before we leave.

So now, we are waiting to hear from the US program to make the next planning steps.

I am really thrilled we will be going to Antarctica!

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