Grab Sampler

A grab sampler is a device that grabs a sample of the topmost layers of the seabed by bringing two steel clamshells together and cutting a bite from the soil. Grab sampling is a common technique used to examine the surface sediment (from 0 to about 10-15 cm deep). Different grab samplers are used depending upon the type of substrate being sampled (soft or hard) and the size of the sample required.

Figure 1 (a). Deployment of a grab, similar to a SHIPEK type; (b) grab sample from Keppel Bay.