Description

An MBARI Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) was deployed near San Diego as both an engineering test and a scientific experiment. Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography wanted to collect DNA samples over six months without the need for human intervention, a challenging engineering feat. After six months, once the ESP was recovered, preserved samples were removed and subject to genetic analyses to see how microbes responded to the changing seasons and ocean conditions. Divers regularly inspect the instrument which is moored about 15 meters below the surface. This project was supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Tags

Enivronmental sample processor ocean technology MBARI SCRIPPS Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation DNA Samples