Census of Marine Zooplankton

Exploring the Deep Sargasso Sea

April 10-30, 2006  

Swimming Zooplankton - siphonophores and ctenophores (comb jelly)  swimming freely in a kreizel, a special tank that keeps delicate organisms from hitting the sides, thus reducing damage to these extrememly delicate organisms (.mov  5.5 MB)  L. Madin 

Launching the dive boat  down the starboard side of the Ronald Brown with divers and driver aboard (.mov  5.8 MB)  L. Madin

MOC-1/4 meter plankton net system launched from starboard side of the ship (.mov  7.5 MB)  L. Madin 

MOC-1 meter plankton net system launch and recovery; sample is washed down into the cod end bucket and then the bucket is removed from the net.  Inside the ship, the sample is poured into a tray where is it is photographed and examined by the 'jelly boys' who remove and identify the gelatinous zooplankton. At this time, fish and decapods are also removed for identification and subsequent genetic sequencing. (.mov  14.8 MB)  L. Madin 

MOC-10 meter plankton net system launch.   D. Lindsay
(.mov  5.7 MB)

Gene sequencing on board the Ron Brown.   L. Madin 
(.mov  6.1 MB)
(.mpg  4.6 MB)

Divers heading out to collect fragile zooplankton by hand. (M.D. Allison)

Larry, Eric, Liz, and Keegan returning from a successful dive. (P. H. Wiebe)

Map of CMarZ stations