What is Sediment Trap?

Sediment traps are large containers that scientists have used since the late 1970s to collect samples of both small and large particles that have landed on the ocean floor. The trap acts as a kind of water filter, collecting and storing various particles and elements for researchers to analyze later. Sediment traps provide a rich resource The scientists used beakers to collect three types of sediment traps: buoyancy traps, mooring traps and surface traps.

• A buoyancy trap that floats freely in seawater at different depths and is designed to capture sediment drifting in ocean currents. Information about the sediment found in the buoyancy traps allowed researchers to investigate which nutrients and elements could be pushed past in ocean currents like certain particles that create good fishing areas.
• A moored sediment collector tethered to heavy objects on or near the seafloor collects sediment, giving scientists a better understanding of how and in what quantities different elements and nutrients reach plant and fish life near the seafloor.
• Surface traps provide information on how nutrients and elements move from the ocean surface to deeper depths and allow surface layers to be compared with sediment to sediment. In water, sediment traps must remain in a vertical position to work properly. Sediment samples can and do get damaged if traps are incorrectly positioned for long periods of time. In zooplankton, small organisms found in seawater can infiltrate sediment trap filters and consume samples, although this is more common in traps closer to the seafloor depending on how long sediment traps are submerged, most sediment traps typically stay in their designated location for nearly a year.

Sediment traps are equipped with beacons for recovery purposes, and other technology is often installed inside or above the trap to provide further information about changing water conditions or the tilt Angle of the trap. The sediment trap is made of titanium and allows for long-term use and immediate redeployment after sample collection.

In summary, sediment catcher is a sampler that collects suspended particulate matter of net deposition in water environment. This sampler has been widely used in the following aspects: (1) measuring the vertical flux of organic and inorganic particles between nutrient formation layer and nutrient decomposition layer; (2) To explore the relationship between phytoplankton and organic deposition and benthic community; (3) Measuring the sedimentation rate of phytoplankton during the period of mass reproduction; (4) Energetics of benthic organisms; (5) Determination of plankton mineralization and pollen deposition; (6) Control and monitoring of harmful substances.

KUM’s sediment traps, which are available in 14, 21 and 41 tubes without Marine agents, can operate continuously for up to 12 or 24 months in water depths of up to 6000 m and are suitable for both Marine and inland waters.