While the K.U.M. Sediment Trap is designed to catch as many particles as possible with the use of a large funnel, the K.U.M. Gel-Trap is designed for the collection and identification of specific particles. This offers a unique approach to better understanding particle movement through the ocean.

Instead of a funnel, a well-defined tube is used with a highly polished surface. The conventional sample bottles used in the Sediment Trap are replaced by cylindrical glass probes, which are made from polished PMMA and filled with a viscous liquid (gel). Once a particle has been captured in the gel, the sinking velocity is reduced, and the particle slowly descends to the base of the probe.

Thereafter, a high-resolution camera can take photographs of the probe at any given time. This enables any individual particle to be clearly identified, measured and its behavioural properties analysed.