SUPR SAMPLER
The SUPR Sampler is designed for precision, high throughput sampling of discrete geochemical features in the water column and from rising and laterally dispersing hydrothermal plumes. It can be deployed on moorings and CTD water rosettes but it was designed with a custom high throughput valve for high speed sampling of rising hydrothermal plumes by remotely operated vehicles. The original SUPR sampler was designed specifically for particulate sampling and compatibility with in situ optical analysis techniques (Breier et al. Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 2009; Breier et al. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. 2010). The SUPR sampler was completely redesigned in 2011 to enable a wider range of sample types. Each of the three new SUPR V2s are dedicated to a specific sampling task: “Iron” collects particulate samples and filtrate for inorganic elemental analyses, “Carbon” collects samples for carbon system analyses, and “Micro” collects samples for genomic analyses and has the ability to administer in situ doses of preservative (i.e., RNALater) to its samples. Based on the success of the SUPR V2 system the design was optimized to achieve a smaller size and allow for AUV deployments - achieving the SUPR V3 version. SUPR systems have been successfully deployed during 6 cruises on a combination of mooring, ROV, AUV, and CTD water rosette deployments. Most recently the new SUPR V2 and V3 systems were successfully deployed during multiple AUV and ROV dives to the Mid-Cayman Rise hydrothermal vent fields in June 2013.Manual and public information available here.
Image: 2012 sampling of the Von Damm hydrothermal mound on the Mid-Cayman Rise. (photo credits: Chris German, WHOI, NSF)
CHIP BREIER: GEOCHEMISTRY & ENVIRONMENTAL ROBOTICS