MOCNESS
Encyclopedia
MOCNESS is the acronym for Multiple Opening/Closing Net and Environmental Sensing System and is a net system for plankton
in the ocean. The system is towed behind a research vessel with a speed of 1.5 knots and consists of five to twenty nets with a mesh size from 64 µm to 3 mm and an area of 1 to 10 sqm which are opened and closed computer controlled at desired depth. The net enables biologists to catch zooplankton
and nekton
in various depth horizons typically anywhere in the upper 500 m of the oceans. All MOCNESS systems are capable of sampling to 6000 meters depth (10,000 psi). The system includes a SeaBird CTD-probe to measure salinity and temperature at sampling depths, as well as optional dissolved oxygen, PAR (photosynthetically available light), transmissometry and fluorescence sensors.
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
in the ocean. The system is towed behind a research vessel with a speed of 1.5 knots and consists of five to twenty nets with a mesh size from 64 µm to 3 mm and an area of 1 to 10 sqm which are opened and closed computer controlled at desired depth. The net enables biologists to catch zooplankton
Zooplankton
Zooplankton are heterotrophic plankton. Plankton are organisms drifting in oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. The word "zooplankton" is derived from the Greek zoon , meaning "animal", and , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter"...
and nekton
Nekton
Nekton refers to the aggregate of actively swimming aquatic organisms in a body of water able to move independently of water currents....
in various depth horizons typically anywhere in the upper 500 m of the oceans. All MOCNESS systems are capable of sampling to 6000 meters depth (10,000 psi). The system includes a SeaBird CTD-probe to measure salinity and temperature at sampling depths, as well as optional dissolved oxygen, PAR (photosynthetically available light), transmissometry and fluorescence sensors.