Abstract
A moorable, automated plankton sampler is described, designed to obtain series of plankton samples over extended time periods in the absence of a surface vessel. The sampler consists of one or more net-containing boxes, a unit for generating as well as measuring water flow through the net boxes, a programmeable control unit, and a frame. Each net box contains several nets on a vinyl strip, used to move the nets from the storage chamber into the fishing position and then into the preservative chamber. Preservation of samples is in a formalin-brine mixture.
Net boxes can be added and the number of nets per box changed; the prototype is described with 1 net box with 10 nets. Volume of water to be filtered, time between sample collections, number of net boxes and the number of nets in each box is programmed into the control unit before sampler deployment. Collections made with the sampler are compared with those made with a SCOR net and a pump.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bary, B. McK., 1966. Back scattering at 12 kc/s in relation to biomass and numbers of zooplanktonic organisms in Saanich Inlet, British Columbia. Deep Sea Res. 13: 655–666.
Bratkovich, A., 1988. The use of planktonic organism distribution as an indicator of physical variability in marine environments. pp. 13–34 in Soule, D. F. and G. S. Kleppel (eds), Marine Organisms as Indicators. Springer-Verlag, New York, N.Y.. 342 pp.
Dickey, T. D., 1987. Recent advances and future directions in multi-disciplinary in situ oceanographic measurement systems. pp. 555–598 in Rothschild, B. J. (ed.), Toward a Theory on Biological-Physical Interactions in the World Ocean. Kluwer Academic Publishers, London. NATO ASI Series C: Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Vol. 239.
Greene, C. H. & P. H. Wiebe, 1988. New developments in bioacoustical oceanography. Sea Technology, August: 27–28.
Greene, C. H., P. H. Wiebe, J.Burczynski & M. J. Youngbluth, 1988. Acoustical detection of high-density demersal krill layers in the submarine canyons off Georges Bank. Science 241: 359–361.
Hardy, A. C., 1926. A new method of plankton research. Nature 118: 630–632.
Haury, L. R. & R. E. Pieper, 1988. Zooplankton: Scales of biological and physical events. pp. 35–71 in Soule, D. F. and G. S. Kleppel (eds), Marine Organisms as Indicators. Springer-Verlag, New York, N.Y.
Holliday, D. V. & R. E. Pieper, 1980. Volume scattering strengths and zooplankton distributions at acoustic frequencies between 0.5 and 3 MHz. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 67: 135–146.
Longhurst, A. R., A. K. Reith, R. E. Bower & D. L. R. Seibert, 1966. A new system for the collection of multiple serial plankton samples. Deep Sea Res. 13: 213–222.
Miller, C. B. & D. C. Judkins, 1981. Design of pumping systems for sampling zooplankton, with descriptions of two high-capacity samplers for coastal studies. Biol. Ocgy. 1: 29–56.
O'Hara, F. C., 1984. Description of a new automatic plankton sampler that collects and preserves multiple samples over a period of several days. Hydrobiologia 111: 103–105.
Orr, M. H., 1981. Remote acoustic detection of zooplankton response to fluid processes, oceanographic instrumentation, and predators. Can. J. Fish. aquat. Sci. 38: 1096–1105.
Rutzler, K., J. D. Ferraris & R. J. Larson, 1980. A new plankton sampler for coral reefs. Mar. Ecol. 1: 65–71.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lewis, A., Heckl, H. A moorable, automated plankton sampler. Hydrobiologia 215, 43–49 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00005899
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00005899