Sediment traps are specially designed containers deployed in the water column for periods of time to collect particles from the water column falling toward the sea floor. In general a sediment trap has a jar at the bottom to collect the sample and a broad funnel-shaped opening at the top with baffles to keep out very large objects and help prevent the funnel from clogging. The Indented Rotating Sphere (IRS) Sediment Trap is described in Peterson et al. (Field evaluation of a valved sediment trap. 1993. Limnology and Oceanography, 38, pp. 1741-1761 and Novel techniques for collection of sinking particles in the ocean and determining their settling rates. 2005. Limnology and Oceanography Methods 3, pp. 520-532). The IRS trap consists of four cylindrical modules; a particle interceptor, an IRS valve; a skewed funnel, and an eleven sample carousel (designated IRSC trap). The key to the trap design is the patented IRS valve located between the particle interceptor and particle accumulator portions of the trap. The valve and carousel are regulated by a TattleTale IVA (manufactured by Onset Computer Corp.) microprocessor and custom software. The IRS sediment trap was specifically designed to exclude zooplankton (Trull et al. 2008. Deep-Sea Research II v.55 pp. 1684-1695).
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