Page 28: of Marine Technology Magazine (October 2015)

Autonomy AUVs

SUPR-REMUS:

T e Next Generation of

Plankton Sampling

By Kira Coley vast number of marine animals live a sedentary exis- have developed an innovative new system for sampling small tence or with limited mobility as adults. For these in- planktonic larvae in coastal ocean waters, offering novel in- dividuals, it is the dispersal of larvae that determines sights into the intricate world of plankton dispersal and demo- A the settlement of future populations and the structure of eco- graphic connectivity. logical communities. Plankton research is hindered by obser- While species in larval stages have limited dispersal capa- vational dif? culties, as traditional sampling methods fail to bilities, many are able to in? uence their horizontal distribu- identify ? ne-scale distributions while accounting for changes tion by controlling their vertical position, affecting transport in environmental gradients. Now, a group of Woods Hole and spatial distributions on bottom habitats. For scientists,

Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) researchers and engineers determining the ? ne-scale distribution of individuals in the

October 2015

MTR 28