Settling plates for microbe study

Experiments will be conducted by using settling plates to determine which types of microbial biofilms form on different surfaces. A, Closeup of a stack of settling plates, featuring 4-in. by 4-in. by ¼-in. limestone, steel, and sandstone settling plates; B, Stack of settling plates (arrow) deployed in deep water on a benthic lander. Photograph B courtesy of Steve Ross, University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Sandra Brooke, Marine Conservation Institute. USGS Fact Sheet 2011-3102, figure 3.