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Sampling High Temperature Hydrothermal Fluids

Close up of the Remote Access Fluid Sampler (RAS) built by D. Butterfield at NOAA-PMEL-UW. A nozzle is installed in an active venting site on the El Gordo chimney. Controlled from shore, or by a mission plan, a pump sucks in hydrothermal fluid into sterile bags (and also onto filters for collection of DNA in a similar system above the RAS). During annual Cabled Array maintenance cruises, this coupled mooring is recovered and collected material analyzed, with results provide at oceanobservatories.org. Credit: UW/NSF-OOI/WHOI; Dive J2-212, V16.

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