Sampling equipment

Photographic Acoustic Lander (PAL)

The PAL lander has been deployed in 2007 on the JC011 cruise and will be redeployed on cruises in 2009 and 2010. The lander will record digital time lapse stills images of scavenging fish for behavioural analysis along with corresponding hydrophone recordings to listen to deep-sea fish feeding at a small food fall (singe mackerel as bait).

PAL lander

Example of image taken by the PAL lander. This image was taken at 2513 m at the SE ECOMAR station. The spotted fish is a cusk eel (Spectrunculus grandis) and the small grey fish is a rat tail (Coryphaenoides sp.). The cross is 1 m by 1 m with 10 cm graduated intervals. The mackerel bait can be seen at the centre of the cross. The camera is 2 m above the bait.

 

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ICDeep

The ICDeep (I 2CCD (Image Intensified Charge Coupled Device) for Deep-sea research) is an ultra low level light camera designed to image the bioluminescence of deep-sea animals. The camera is used to research spontaneous and stimulated bioluminescence in the water column and benthic boundary layer to depths of 6000m.

To measure the total stimuable bioluminescence through the water column, the ICDeep camera is mounted on a CTD rosette. The camera looks vertically down on a mesh screen. During the CTD downcast the impact of the mesh on the animals stimulates the emission of bioluminescence which is recorded by the camera.

To image spontaneous bioluminescence in the benthic boundary layer the ICDeep camera is mounted on an aluminium lander and orientated towards bait positioned on the sea floor. A red light, which is invisible to most deep-sea animals, is used to illuminate the scene at specified intervals to enable observation and identification of the animals present, without disturbance or retinal damage.

Designed and built by Oceanlab ( University of Aberdeen), the ICDeep marks an advance in in-situ bioluminescence imaging. The camera integrates I 2CCD (Image Intensified Charge Coupled Device) technology with a custom built computer system for device control and image capture. The capability of the ICDeep surpasses previous in-situ bioluminescence imaging technology in terms of sensitivity control and recording capacity. The camera is currently rated to 4000m, soon to be extended to 6000m.

Figure 1 ICDeep mounted on the CTD rosette of the RV Urania, September 2008

Figure 2 Example bioluminescent emissions from deep sea zooplankton recorded by the ICDeep from the Eastern Mediterranean

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OTSB (Semi-Balloon Otter Trawl)

A small modifed shrimp trawl used to capture benthic and demersal (those that live on and around the seafloor) organisms. The trawl is only towed on the seabed for 30 - 45 minutes but from start to finish a trawl at 2500 m can take up to eight hours. This is because the trawl is at an angle behind the vessel, so you need to reel out approximately 7500 m of trawl wire to tow the net at 2500 m.

The aft area of RRS James Cook. The doors are just being bought on board by the aft cranes after a trawl.

OTSB trawl net being landed on deck. Starfish and a sea cucumber are visible in the green part of the net.

An example of an OTSB trawl haul. There are a range of organisms visible including sea cucumbers (holothurians), squat lobsters (Galathaeids), corals, starfish (Asteroids), sponges and shrimps.

 

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RMT

A trawl used to sample mid-water (those that live in the water column) animals such as zooplankton.

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EK60 scientific echosounder

An acoustic device (uses sound) to image the layers of animals within the water column. It gives data on mid-water animal density.

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ISIS

Isis is the UK's first deep-ocean remotely operated vehicle for science, built by the Deep Submergence Group at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the United States, operated by the National Marine Facilities Division in Southampton. Isis is capable of diving to 6,500m and carries a range of video, photographic and sampling systems.

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SHRIMP (Seabed High Resolution Imaging Platform)

SHRIMP is a real-time visual observation platform for surveys of the deep-ocean floor; it is a towed vehicle that that carries photographic and video cameras.

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Amphipod Trap

The Amphipod Trap is an acoustically-released freefall baited trap system used to capture the mobile scavenging amphipod fauna. These free-fall systems have been used successfully in rough terrain on Atlantic Seamounts, the Faroe-Shetland channel, and Portuguese canyon systems. The trap consists of a large frame holding two traps - a benthic trap placed on the bottom of the lander frame and a suprabenthic trap situated 1m from the bottom. A mackerel bait is used to attract the amphipods, which enter the chambers through one-way valves, trapping them inside.

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