Field Research

EMEDZOO field research takes place on small research vessels in Cyprus coastal waters.  The mesozooplankton of interest in this project and in future climate-related studies are small in size (approximately 0.05 mm – 1 cm), and thus must be collected from the sea using fine-meshed plankton nets.  EMEDZOO plankton nets are typically dragged behind or alongside the vessel through the euphotic zone (sunlit surface layer).  Once the zooplankton have filtered down into the plankton net’s “cod end”, it is removed on board the boat and the animals finally preserved in formalin or frozen and dried for future chemical-free analyses.

Plankton sampling gear    

 Plankton sampling gear                   

Filtering zooplankton   
                

Filtering zooplankton     

   
Plankton net surfacing           washing down zooplankton
Plankton net surfacing Washing down zooplankton