Airlift sampler with steel corer

The airlift system is used to take sediment samples of macrozoobenthos from soft-bottoms. In this study five replicates were sampled along six transects (5m, 10m, 15m, 20m, 25m, 30m) by pressing a steel corer (0.2m^-2) 20cm deep into the substrate. The enclosed sediment was then transported with an airliftsystem consisting of a tube (6cm in diameter, 80cm long with a n-end at the upper end), and a compressed-air injection device coupled to a dive tank that was connected to a 0.5mm mesh retaining bag.

Van Veen grap sampler

The Van Veen grab (in these case 0.1m^-2) is used to take sediment samples from the sea floor. The grab is lowered to the sea bed on a steel cable with its "jaws" open. As soon as the dishes touch the bottom, the valve keeping them open is released. As the grab is pulled back up the jaws close, scooping up sand or sediment from the seabed. The grab is opened over a sloping table on the ship and the contents are collected in a sealable plastic bucket or sub-samples are taken, for instance to study macrobenthic communities.