OSIL Marine Snow Catchers for NASA Research Project

Oceanographic equipment manufacturer Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) have equipped the NASA EXPORTS Field Campaign with three Marine Snow Catchers and will contribute to the upcoming PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) Mission that aims to provide insight into Earth’s ocean and atmosphere using remote sensing.

Marine Snow Catchers are large volume water samplers with separable top and bottom sections that allow researchers to collect and characterise suspended and sinking particles in the water column. This provides a greater understanding of the export processes of the oceanic organic carbon cycle (removing carbon from the upper ocean) and can help to predict how these processes may change in the future.

The design of the OSIL Marine Snow Catchers has been subtly altered, guided by user feedback, with the intention of making them easier to operate in extreme conditions. OSIL constantly strive to improve and develop its range of products and is guided by invaluable customer feedback and a vast wealth of experience.