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A Rosette By Any Other Name

A marine science technician aboard the U.S.Coast Guard Healy pushes a conductivity, temperature, depth (CTD) rosette during a spring 2009 research cruise to study the Bering Sea ecosystem. A CTD is made up of a set of remotely activated sample bottles attached to a large metal frame. The rosette is lowered on a cable  and scientists observe the water properties in real time via a conducting cable connecting the CTD to a computer on the ship. On the way up, they trigger bottles to take water samples at specific depths for analysis.

(Photo by Chris Linder, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)