PCMSC uses the GOMEX box corer for collecting soft, deep-water sediment samples.
The GOMEX box corer is constructed of stainless steel and is used to sample soft sediments at the bottom of lakes, bays, and the ocean. The GOMEX box coring sampler is so-named because it is popular for sampling work in the Gulf of Mexico. Trays on either side of the GOMEX hold lead weights, which serve as ballast to help the corer to drop smoothly and straight through the water column. When the corer makes contact with the ocean floor, the weights help drive the box into the soft sediment. The box sinks neatly into the sediment with minimal sediment disturbance. The force of hitting the bottom triggers a tripping mechanism that frees up two hinged doors, called spades. As the box corer is raised, the lead weights again help to push the spades closed and hold them closed so that the sediment stays in the box.
The GOMEX is easy to use, has a large sampling volume for its size, and it can be deployed off smaller vessels or where space is limited. The advantages of the GOMEX corer are its tripping and closing mechanisms, as well as its light weight and small size.
Specifications
- Manufacturer – Ocean Instruments
- Model – GMX-25 Gomex Box Corer Standard
- Weight – 80 lbs (36 kg) bare, with 160 lbs of modular weight in 20-lb bricks.
- Dimensions
- Height: 100 cm
- Deck footprint: 30×30 cm
- Box area: 25 cm X 25 cm X 50 cm
- Sampling area: 625 cm2
- Power requirements - None
- Safe working load - 250 lbs
Operational Characteristics
- Operational depth – Unlimited, but most successful in water depths between 5 and 100 meters.
- Sediment type – Soft, deep-water sediments
- Limitations – Its light weight lends to kiting in deep water; and its box is not removable, so all sub-sampling must happen in situ.
- Vessel requirements – Small davit or A-frame, winch, ability to hold station for ~30 seconds.
Learn more about the Marine Facility and the equipment and vessels we use in the field. Also, learn more about the science projects that use the GOMEX box corer to collect samples.
Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments
PCMSC MarFac Field Equipment and Capabilities
Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound
PCMSC Marine Facility (MarFac)
- Overview
PCMSC uses the GOMEX box corer for collecting soft, deep-water sediment samples.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.GOMEX box corer The GOMEX box corer is constructed of stainless steel and is used to sample soft sediments at the bottom of lakes, bays, and the ocean. The GOMEX box coring sampler is so-named because it is popular for sampling work in the Gulf of Mexico. Trays on either side of the GOMEX hold lead weights, which serve as ballast to help the corer to drop smoothly and straight through the water column. When the corer makes contact with the ocean floor, the weights help drive the box into the soft sediment. The box sinks neatly into the sediment with minimal sediment disturbance. The force of hitting the bottom triggers a tripping mechanism that frees up two hinged doors, called spades. As the box corer is raised, the lead weights again help to push the spades closed and hold them closed so that the sediment stays in the box.
The GOMEX is easy to use, has a large sampling volume for its size, and it can be deployed off smaller vessels or where space is limited. The advantages of the GOMEX corer are its tripping and closing mechanisms, as well as its light weight and small size.
Specifications
- Manufacturer – Ocean Instruments
- Model – GMX-25 Gomex Box Corer Standard
- Weight – 80 lbs (36 kg) bare, with 160 lbs of modular weight in 20-lb bricks.
- Dimensions
- Height: 100 cm
- Deck footprint: 30×30 cm
- Box area: 25 cm X 25 cm X 50 cm
- Sampling area: 625 cm2
- Power requirements - None
- Safe working load - 250 lbs
Operational Characteristics
- Operational depth – Unlimited, but most successful in water depths between 5 and 100 meters.
- Sediment type – Soft, deep-water sediments
- Limitations – Its light weight lends to kiting in deep water; and its box is not removable, so all sub-sampling must happen in situ.
- Vessel requirements – Small davit or A-frame, winch, ability to hold station for ~30 seconds.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.USGS science crew works to free the muddy sediment from a GOMEX box corer while on PCMSC's vessel Jewell on Grizzly Bay in the San Francisco Bay area. - Science
Learn more about the Marine Facility and the equipment and vessels we use in the field. Also, learn more about the science projects that use the GOMEX box corer to collect samples.
Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments
Our research goals are to provide the scientific information, knowledge, and tools required to ensure that decisions about land and resource use, management practices, and future development in the coastal zone and adjacent watersheds can be evaluated with a complete understanding of the probable effects on coastal ecosystems and communities, and a full assessment of their vulnerability to natural...PCMSC MarFac Field Equipment and Capabilities
Learn about the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center Marine Facility’s vast array of field equipment, sampling devices, and mapping systems, and our capabilities. Our engineers, designers, mechanics, and technicians have also designed and developed some of the specialized field equipment we use in field operations in the nearshore, in the deep sea, and on land.Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound
A Pacific Northwest icon, Puget Sound is the second-largest estuary in the United States. Its unique geology, climate, and nutrient-rich waters produce and sustain biologically productive coastal habitats. These same natural characteristics also contribute to a high quality of life that has led to growth in human population and urbanization. This growth has played a role in degrading the Sound...PCMSC Marine Facility (MarFac)
Learn about the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center Marine Facility, or MarFac - Multimedia