OSIL Multi-corers in CSA Ocean Sciences' Gulf of Mexico Study
CSA Ocean Sciences has purchased two Mega Multiple Corers from UK-based Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) for use in a month-long deep-water sampling effort to assess sediment chemistry and infaunal communities in the Gulf of Mexico.
The OSIL Multiple Corer enjoys a privileged position as the primary corer for environmental impact assessment worldwide, owing to its ability to collect up to 12 simultaneous high-quality undisturbed sediment samples including the sediment/water interface and overlying supernatant water. The 600mm long core tube collects approximately 450mm of sediment (0.35l) and 150mm of water (0.12l). The OSIL Multi Corer design has recently been updated to a lead-free version, with features that make the corer easier to clean, and an improved core tube insertion/removal system, which improves usability and handling of both the corer and subsequent samples on deck.
This is achieved through the use of a unique hydrostatic damping system, which slows the penetration rate down to approximately 1cm/s, and removes the typical bow wave observed in other coring systems. In addition these corers benefit from detachable core holders, enabling the core tubes or the whole corer tube assembly, to be removed from the main body of the corer enabling a succession of samples to be taken during any one mission. The core tubes are sealed top and bottom, allowing rapid retrieval of the corer without jeopardizing the integrity of the samples.
