The basic sampler is the pushcore, which you can see in action in this video from Jason’s hi-definition video camera. The advantage of the pushcore is that it keeps the sediment layers intact, rather than smushing them all together.  Also, they can be directed to a very specific spot, which is important when the area you want to sample is small, like the bathtub ring of a DHAB. When pushcore samples are returned to the ship, Joan and her team slice them into segments and study the chemistry and biology of each thin segment. We’ll talk more about that work tomorrow.