The ROV sample collection skid, including the manipulator, is the key to successful specimen sampling during our mission. Samples can vary widely in their structural integrity. Some pop off the underlying substrate as entirely intact individuals while others, like this yellow Halichondridae sponge, easily tear to allow us to collect one portion of the sponge while leaving the rest to heal and regenerate.
Skid Manipulator
Image courtesy of Cuba’s Twilight Zone Reefs and Their Regional Connectivity. Download larger version (jpg, 624 KB).

The ROV sample collection skid, including the manipulator, is the key to successful specimen sampling during our mission. Samples can vary widely in their structural integrity. Some pop off the underlying substrate as entirely intact individuals while others, like this yellow Halichondridae sponge, easily tear to allow us to collect one portion of the sponge while leaving the rest to heal and regenerate.

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