After the niskin rosette come on board, how do we collect floating phytoplankton? We use techniques that pull those plankton out of the water.  One very common method is filtration.  We filter water onto small round filters, collect the plankton on those filters and then discard the “empty” water.   This is such a great way to sample plankton that on some days, it seems like all we are doing is filtering and filtering, and filtering some more!  These photos show Celia collecting filters that she’ll snap freeze in liquid nitrogen and then use to do DNA analyses back in the lab.  On the right, Nigel is filtering phytoplankton for shipboard measurement of Chlorophyll a.  The amount of Chlorophyll a is related to the amount of phytoplankton in the water.  This is a good way for us to measure plankton abundance along our cruise track. As mentioned in an earlier post, music is a good way to spice up the long hours spent filtering.  It also helps to have lab mates (fellow filtration specialists) who can spin a good yarn, tell a tale tale or have stand up comedy skills!