The "SAMPLE system", a new concept of benthic station

In order to measure hydrodynamical forcings and sediment transport in muddy dominant environments, a self-contained device has been specifically designed to be used in shallow waters. The developed system is of small weight and size enough for easy handy deployments on intertidal areas, but it can also be placed in a frame for profiling the water column. Sensors are exchangeable. A high-performance data logger assumes independent programming on nine channels, a sampling rate up to 5 Hz and a large data storage. Attention has been paid to reduce electric consumption. The device has been applied to investigate the vertical structure of fluid mud in an estuary as well as the sediment resuspension on intertidal mudflats under wave and current forcings.<
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