A simple water sampler, and a chamber for in situ incubation of plankton samples at discrete depths

• 1 A simple water sampler and an incubation chamber are presented. The water sampler is simpler in construction than the Ruttner sampler and other comparable devices. In addition to enclosure of water at a discrete depth, the incubation chamber releases a radioisotope or other substance of experimental interest into the sample.
• 2 Tests of performance are presented, demonstrating efficiency in enclosure of water from discrete depths, and time course of mixing of a tracer into the sample after activation of the release mechanism.

     

The MacVuti sampler: a new and inexpensive volume sampler for plankton and water

SUMMARY. Details are presented for the construction and operation of a cheap simple volume sampler for Zooplankton and water. This sampler has been used in waters up to 45 m deep over a number of years and proved to be reliable and effective.     

A moorable,automated plankton sampler

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.     

The Sea Core Sampler: a simple water sampler that allows direct observations of undisturbed plankton

A simple water sampler that brings undisturbed water samplesto the deck-laboratory and that allows video recording of planktonand small-scale plankton phenomena directly in the sampler isdescribed. Using the sampler, it is possible to follow individualplankton organisms and marine snow aggregates for longer periodsof time in an environment where the original three-dimensionalorganization of particles and chemical gradients have been retained.The sampler has been used to film sinking marine snow, the microbiallife on a snow flake, and the behaviour of delicate zooplanktersthat are otherwise difficult to collect live. Video clips demonstratingthe utility of the sampler are available online.     

A simple seawater-powered plankton wheel

Two designs are described for making water-powered planktonrotators. Instead of using an electric motor, these devicesuse water pressure supplied by shipboard saltwater systems bothto turn and cool samples. These systems are small, portable,rugged, very inexpensive and safer than conventional planktonwheels. The two designs outlined below have been used in thefield to form diatom aggregates and conduct zooplankton grazingexperiments.     

A portable, low-cost, multipurpose, surface-subsurface plankton sampler

This note describes a portable, low-cost, pump-based, multi-purpose,surface–subsurface, phytoplankton and zooplankton sampler.It is self-powered by a small 12 V DC battery, and is portableand ideal for use from a small boat in a river, estuary, orsea. The sampler is equipped with a very sensitive microprocessor-controlledflow sensor for precise determination of the volume of waterprocessed by the sampler. A study was carried out to evaluatethe performance of this sampler in comparison to the conventionaltowed plankton net. The results of this study suggest that thispump-based sampler is as efficient in collecting plankton asusing conventional plankton nets, with little damage to theorganisms.     

A simple model for plankton patchiness

Recent work on zooplankton spatial variability shows that thepower spectrum of the wave-number variance is flatter than thatfor chlorophyll, as a consequence of greater fine structurein the herbivores. The relative slopes of the power spectracan result from white noise forcing of simple coupled phytoplankton-herbivoremodels with diffusion.     

A simple syringe sampler for sampling bottom waters

SUMMARY. A cheap messenger-operated device for sampling water immediately above sediment is described.     

A hand-operated in situ water sampler

A hand-operated water sampler designed specifically for dissolved gas studies in lakes, lagoons and other shallow water is described.     

A large-volume water sampler with automatic opening and closing

A large volume water sampler which can enclose, at any givendepth, a body of relatively undisturbed water including organismsis described. Its functioning and some results of sampling atsea are given.     

A simple periphyton sampler for algal biomass estimates in streams

• 1 A simple periphyton sampler, which is cheap and easy to construct, is described. The key component is a disposable scouring disc which also serves to adsorb detached material.
• 2 Field trials show that the scouring sampler is significantly more efficient at removing and retaining periphyton from stones in streams for biomass estimation than other commonly used techniques.
• 3 The scouring sampler requires only one operator. Its small size and speed of use facilitate replication of samples. Samples can be collected from stones as small as 30mm diameter.

     

A moorable,automated plankton sampler: comments on Lewis & Heckl (1991)

Comments on a recently described moorable, automated plankton sampler are given, mainly because it was designed to capture large zooplankton. However, the need for automatic devices for sampling phyto- and zooplankton is stressed. A new design for such a device is presented. A preliminary test was made using standard continuous-flow (auto-analyser) equipment, a cultured flagellate and formalin as a fixative.     

Environmental forcing of simple plankton models

This paper examines the phenomenon of algal blooms in phytoplanktonpopulations in the context of a simple spatially homogeneousmodel. The effects of a changing environment are representedby time dependence in the model's parameters. It is argued thatthe interaction of grazing pressure and nutrient limitationgives rise to excitability in the dynamics of the model. Thisproperty allows the use of asymptotic analysis to derive a connectionbetween the nature of the environmental forcing and the productionof a bloom. Numerical experiments demonstrate the accuracy ofthis analysis and also show how. and under what conditions,its effectiveness starts to break down. Some of the biologicalimplications of these results are discussed.     

A simple and inexpensive trap-tube sampler for zooplankton collection in shallow waters

The paper describes a new type of zooplankton sampler, which combines the concepts of the Pennak core sampler and the Schindler-Patalas plankton trap. The new sampler, called Trap Tube Sampler, consists of a PVC water pipe (1.5–2.0 m, long; 10 cm diameter) provided, at the bottom end, of a filtering unit and closing mechanism which alternatively closes the mouth of the tube and the mouth of the filtering unit. The new device is particularly suitable for collecting samples from the entire water column in shallow vegetated water bodies, fish ponds and mesocosm tanks.     

A rapid leaf-disc sampler for psychrometric water potential measurements

An instrument was designed which facilitates faster and more accurate sampling of leaf discs for psychrometric water potential measurements. The instrument consists of an aluminum housing, a spring-loaded plunger, and a modified brass-plated cork borer. The leaf-disc sampler was compared with the conventional method of sampling discs for measurement of leaf water potential with thermocouple psychrometers on a range of plant material including Gossypium hirsutum L., Zea mays L., and Begonia rex-cultorum L. The new sampler permitted a leaf disc to be excised and inserted into the psychrometer sample chamber in less than 7 seconds, which was more than twice as fast as the conventional method. This resulted in more accurate determinations of leaf water potential due to reduced evaporative water losses. The leaf-disc sampler also significantly reduced sample variability between individual measurements. This instrument can be used for many other laboratory and field measurements that necessitate leaf disc sampling.     

A pneumatically-operated water sampler for close intervals of depth

A pneumatically-operated sampler for collecting water samples at close intervals of depth in lakes is described. The sampler uses plastic disposable syringes and may be operated at various depths and at the mud-water interface. Examples of results obtained with the sampler are given.     

A folding artificial substratum sampler for use in standing water

A new easily retrieved folding artificial substratum sampler is described and its performance compared with that of trays in Cow Green Reservoir at a depth of 15–18 m.     

Hand-operated box sampler for shallow water

The construction and operation of a hand-operated box sampler is described. The sampler covers an area of 25 × 25 cm and penetrates into the sediment to the depth of 15 cm. It was successfully operated on a sandy bottom, and on sand mixed with gravel up to a water depth of 1 meter.IAEC, Yavne 70600, Israel     

A new sampler for collection of interstitial water from sandy sediments

An inexpensive, easily constructed apparatus for collecting interstitial water from sandy substrates is described and evaluated against two other devices. Results indicate that these samplers yield comparable dissolved oxygen determinations, but vary in terms of repeatability, efficiency, construction complexity and sturdiness.