April 3, 2021: Sample Collection
Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Windows to the Deep 2019. Download larger version (jpg, 2.3 MB).
A squat lobster was sampled at around 722 meters (2,369 feet) depth using the suction sampler on remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer (D2) during the first dive of the Windows to the Deep 2019 expedition. Added to D2 in 2019, the suction sampler is an underwater vacuum for collecting biological samples that are too small, too delicate, or too quick to pick up using the jaws of D2’s hydraulic manipulator. Some of the kinds of deep-sea animals that could be collected include gelatinous animals in the water column such as jellyfish, fish, and other mobile fauna, like squat lobsters.
From: Overview of Remotely Operated Vehicle Deep Discoverer’s New Suction Sampler.