International seabed sampling specialists Ocean Scientific International Ltd have shipped a modified version of the industry standard Multiple Corer to Australia for use in a project in a remote location of Papua New Guinea.
The corer has been converted into a modular design to allow it to be transported by helicopter. The frame can be broken down into 2 stackable pieces that allows the overall shipping height of the corer to be reduced, and enables quick reassembly of the system ready for deployment.
The hydrostatically damped Multi Corer is constructed from stainless steel and features detachable core assemblies, which enables the core tubes (or if necessary the entire core tube assembly) to be removed from the corer for analysis or storage. The core tubes are sealed top and bottom once the sample has been taken, allowing rapid retrieval of the corer without jeopardizing sample integrity.
The corer will be used to provide seabed sediment samples for benthic fauna and geochemical analysis, as part of an environmental monitoring program for a mining project.
The OSIL corers are capable of collecting up to 12 samples simultaneously, which include an undisturbed sediment sample and the overlying supernatant water, making them ideal candidates for use in environmental assessments.