Abstract

A Simultaneous Collection Module (SCM) was designed to concurrently collect multiple samples of macroalgal propagules, and to evaluate their abundance and spatial distribution in the water column. The basic sampling units are water collectors (tubes), held together to form an evenly spaced grid forming a spatial array with three dimensions. Each collector in the module possesses a simultaneous closing mechanism. The water collected in each tube is then filtered and the propagules retained on each filter cultivated under controlled conditions. The sampling system was deployed in the field in central Chile. Results suggest the system is an efficient collector, able to provide data on time-space changes of macroalgal propagules in the water column. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.