A new modified grab samplerStaff: Andrew Mackie
An account of the design and sampling efficiency of the modified Van Veen grab used in our surveys over the last 10 years. The new grab was created as an improvement to the commonly used Van Veen grab which, with its long arms attached to the digging buckets, acts in a scissor-like movement.
- improve the potential digging efficiency of the grab through changes in the bucket shape,
- improve the stability of the grab on the seabed through elbow-shaped bars that act as a supporting frame, and
- the frame additionally improves operational safety in deployment and recovery by allowing personnel to handle the grab at a distance from the bucket jaws.