Pond day

One of my cores deployed in the sediment

Sometimes, my work involves sitting at a computer and writing code. Sometimes, my work involves tediously sorting animals under a microscope. Sometimes, my work involves writing pages on end to meet a deadline. But every once in a while, my work lets me take off and go diving. Those are the best days.

As you know, I've been working to make push core samplers for my lab. The design is based on one commonly used in deep-sea biology with remotely operated vehicles, so I had to make several modifications for SCUBA divers. An essential step in this process was figuring out whether a diver could actually work with my cores and collect sediment samples. So I packed up my cores and headed to Hathaway Pond. 

First, I tested the cores out near the shore. The sediment was coarse and sandy, so I had a hard time pushing them into the ground. I knew sediment at greater depths would be finer and easier to work with, so I took one of my cores in hand and swam around to find finer sediment. 

Underwater selfie

I found what I was looking for at about 20 ft depth near a small wooden platform. It's common for SCUBA classes to train in the pond, and the platforms provide stable areas for underwater drills. I could push my core into the fine sediment at the platform easily, but I had a hard time making the sediment stay in the core while I retrieved it. After a few tries, I had come up with a technique that worked pretty well, but I still feel like I need more practice.

Thankfully, I'll have plenty of opportunities to dive and test the cores over the summer. Testing equipment just gives me another excuse to dive!