To sample animals in Lost City, we have constructed samplers for this cruise that use hydraulic suction to essentially vacuum animals from the seafloor. Much like using a vacuum cleaner in your living room, the pilot grabs the end of a retractable hose and positions the open end on the surface of a Lost City spire. The hydraulic pump is turned on and the suction begins. Pieces of carbonate and the small animals living on them get sucked into a four-liter chamber where the animals are stored until they reach the surface and taken off the vehicle for sorting. Image courtesy of IFE, URI-JAO, Lost City science party, and NOAA.
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