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Field Sampling

It takes the Lakes380 team between 2 to 5 hours to sample a lake

What samples are collected?

At each lake, three types of samples are collected:
  • Surface sediment (lake bottom)
  • Sediment core
  • Water samples
The water samples and surface sediments help us determine current lake health and what organisms live in the lake. We use the sediment cores to helps us explore how and why the health of the lake has changed over time.

Collecting surface sediments

Surface sediments from the lake bottom are collected by:

A sediment corer. This is lowered to the lake-bed on a rope. It then sinks into the mud (about 25 cm) and a special stopper is launched that seals the tube. The corer is then pulled to the surface and the top 2 cm pushed out of the tube and sliced off into a sediment collection device.

Ponar grab. This is like a big set of metal jaws. It is l held open by a spring-loaded pin and lowered on a rope to the lake bed. This fires when the Ponar hits the lake-bed and allows the ‘jaws’ to close – collecting a scoop of sediment. 

Surface sediment samples are used for: environmental DNA and nutrient analysis.

How do you collect sediment cores?​

To be able to study lake history sediment needs to be extracted from the lakebed with the layers of mud still intact.

To extract the mud, long tubes attached to a corer are hammered into the bottom of the lake. A vacuum seal at the top of the corer stops the mud slipping out of the tube as it is pulled from the lake. 

Collecting water samples

Water samples are collected from each lake by filling a bottle of water. When lakes are less than 10 meters deep the samples are collected near the surface. In deeper lakes we also collect a sample from about 1 meter above the lake bed.

We also take measurements through the lakes water column measuring temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, pH and light.

  • The Project
  • The Science
    • Field Sampling
    • Laboratory Analysis
    • Student Projects
  • Science Aims
  • Rohe Studies
    • Rangitīkei Iwi Rohe Study
    • Wairarapa Moana iwi rohe study
  • Social Science
  • Iwi Relationships
  • The Team
    • Advisory Groups
    • Lakes380 Co-lead Institutes​
    • National Collaborators
    • International Collaborators
  • Partners
Menu
  • The Project
  • The Science
    • Field Sampling
    • Laboratory Analysis
    • Student Projects
  • Science Aims
  • Rohe Studies
    • Rangitīkei Iwi Rohe Study
    • Wairarapa Moana iwi rohe study
  • Social Science
  • Iwi Relationships
  • The Team
    • Advisory Groups
    • Lakes380 Co-lead Institutes​
    • National Collaborators
    • International Collaborators
  • Partners

Lake Haupiri

Moana

West Coast

Lake Kaikura

Hawera

Taranaki

Voss Lagoon

Tiakitahuna

Manawatū Whanganui

Lake Oporoa

Taihape

Manawatū Whanganui

Lake Māhinapua

Hokitika

West Coast

Kangaroo Lake

Moana

West Coast

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Home

Our Lakes

Menu
  • All Lakes
  • Regions
    • Northland
    • Auckland
    • Waikato
    • Bay of Plenty
    • Hawke’s Bay
    • Taranaki
    • Manawatū/Whanganui
    • Wellington
    • Tasman
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    • Marlborough
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    • Otago
    • Southland
  • Coastal Lakes
  • Lowland Lakes
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About

Menu
  • The Project
  • The Science
    • Field Sampling
    • Laboratory Analysis
    • Student Projects
  • Science Aims
  • Rohe Studies
    • Rangitīkei Iwi Rohe Study
    • Wairarapa Moana iwi rohe study
  • Social Science
  • Iwi Relationships
  • The Team
    • Advisory Groups
    • Lakes380 Co-lead Institutes​
    • National Collaborators
    • International Collaborators
  • Partners

Resources

Menu
  • Contact & Links
  • Blog, News & Publications
  • Video Gallery
  • Results
  • Glossary