A Surface Bloom Sampler (SUBS) for cyanobacteria and algae

In surface blooms, cell density is not evenly distributed with depth but shows a vertical abundance gradient, dependent on the hydrodynamics of water body and on cell buoyancy. To sample reproducibly and quantitatively cyanobacteria and algae blooms a simple Surface Bloom Sampler (SUBS) was designed. This instrument collects a known volume of water at the air-water interface. The sampled layer can be adjusted, according to the expected depth of the bloom, from 4 to 20 cm.