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February 17, 2021: Sampling

Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Jason, owned and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, is used to collect a sample of microbial mat from the chimneys in the image background during the Submarine Ring of Fire 2014 - Ironman expedition.

Image courtesy of Submarine Ring of Fire 2014 - Ironman, NSF/NOAA, Jason, Copyright WHOI. Download larger version (jpg, 1.6 MB).

Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Jason, owned and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, is used to collect a sample of microbial mat from the chimneys in the image background during the Submarine Ring of Fire 2014 - Ironman expedition. The tool being used, called a scoop-sampler, allowed ROV pilots to directly “scoop up” pieces of still-intact mat so that scientists can analyze the samples and study the different layers of the mats as they naturally occur, much like looking at the different floors in a condominium and seeing who is home.

From: Return to NW Rota-1 Seamount.