Large volume sampling by in situ pumps appears to recover a more broad community of particle-attached microbes than traditional bottle sampling, according to a unique study published in Frontiers in Microbiology.
During an East Antarctica deployment aboard the R/V Aurora Australia, both an in situ pump and 12L Niskin bottles collected samples from the same location at 100m and 300m. Microbial communities were then compared based on the collection device.
Comparing the microbial diversity of samples from both devices showed the faster collection and capture of larger volumes with in situ pumps provided a greater diversity of particle-attached marine microbes.
Read the full study for more details.
