Wanted to post a few quick images of the work going on in the labs. Folks are busy! Here is how it all starts... The nets are opened at specific depths and there are multiple nets on the Mocness - so you can trawl different depths with the same trawl. The work in the lab starts once a batch of deep sea life is brought in from a net. The first job is sorting the catch by taxonomic group and then getting each group of organism to each specialist.
Fish identification
Crustacean identification. After an ID is provided, further data/materials may be collected - such as a DNA or stable isotope sample.
DNA samples being collected from specimens.
Data is also collected for the physical conditions in which each trawl is made.
April keep everything organized and manages the master database. Everything goes through April and is recorded.
Sometimes a specimen is sent to the photographic lab for further documentation.
The photographic lab is located on the front deck of the ship.
This is the inside of the photolab.
The specimen is documented photographically and then returned to the main lab for preservation.