The nets are lowered into the water and then brought back up through the water column. Water drains through the fabric and plankton are captured in containers at the tip of the nets.
Scientists lower plankton nets into the Bering Sea.
While the rosette CTD captures plankton suspended in seawater, these nets filter the plankton out of the seawater. This allows plankton to be concentrated for later identification. University of Washington students Susanne Menden-Deuer and Colleen Weiser prepare seawater samples for analysis of the chemicals and nutrients that sustain the Bering Sea food chain. University of Washington student Susanne Menden-Deuer identifies plankton with the aid of a microscope aboard the Alpha Helix. Dr. Mikhail Flint of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Shirshov Institute, identifies plankton using a microscope.