Modular Autonomous Biosampler (MAB): A Multi-platform System for Distinct Biological Size-class Sampling and Preservation

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The last 10-15 years has seen a tremendous growth in the development and application of new sensor platforms, specifically autonomous and Lagrangian platforms such as Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, drifters, and ocean glider and in the realm of integrated Ocean Observing Systems (OOSs). A parallel growth in the realm of biosensors remains significantly behind that of the geophysical sampling and biosampling is an under-represented sector in the implementation of OOS systems worldwide. Nevertheless, the potential for discovery and environmental health assessment from biological and chemical sensors is extremely high. The PI's propose to design and integrate current-off-the-shelf technology into a novel configuration that has not been accomplished before. While it is true that systems like the Hardy Continuous Plankton Sampler (1930) have some historical bearing on this project, and certainly point to the long standing need for a system such as we are proposing, the development of a new class of modular self-contained, programmable pump-filter systems is a significantly distinct undertaking. The development of this device is particularly urgent given the critical need in the community for biological sampling in connection with existing and planned ocean observatory and mooring networks. Broader ImpactsThe development of a low-cost high capacity smart biosampler that has the ability to store samples for extended periods of time for later analysis will satisfy the critical need to access these vastly understudied areas of our oceans. The proposed modular autonomous biosampler has the potential to dramatically increase our remote long-term biological surveillance capabilities. The potential for discovery and environmental health assessment from biological and chemical sensors is extremely high.