Continuous Accumulation and Fixation of Suspended Particles on Pore Filters in the Ocean

Marine biologists and geologists need exact informations about the spatial and temporal distributions of suspended particles in the ocean. For the solution of this measuring problem Kroebel has designed, developed and together with his student H. Baumann realized operating apparatus in situ. This apparatus contains an underwater pump which sucks every second a water column of 1 cm²cross section and a length of 50 cm through a pore filter of suitable size. These pore filters are fixed on a long commercial film strip. The film is moved in steps like a movie film. The exposure time of one pore filter is variable between 1 to 20 seconds. On this way all particles from water columns between 50 to 1000 cm³will be extracted onto the pore filter. After this accumulation the particles are welded between two transparent plastic foils, stored on a roll in situ and investigated on board.