Studying delicate gelatinous animals can be more challenging than you might think! They often fall apart when sampled by traditional methods like trawl nets. 💔 . This is where our remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) come in handy. MBARI scientists collect organisms using ROVs and transport them into the laboratory to further investigate features that cannot be successfully observed at sea. Detritus samplers are clear plastic cylinders often used to collect fragile organisms like jellies. The cylinders are attached to a mechanical arm that swings out from the body of the ROV. To capture these specimens, the ROV pilot must maneuver the entire ROV (which weighs about 3,000 kilograms or three tons in the air) until the animal is inside the cylinder. Then the co-pilot quickly closes the mechanical lids to seal off the top and bottom of the cylinder, trapping the specimen inside. Watch as our ROV pilots expertly grab this jelly in a detritus sampler. . This jelly, Stellamedusa ventana, was discovered by MBARI biologists and named after our ROV Ventana! ⠀ . #ROV #ROVsampling #detritussampler #ROVtech #marinetech #ROVVentana#marineoperations #underwatertech #underwaterrobot #jellyfish #gelata #gelatinouszooplankton #deepsealife #deepsea #ocean #oceanlife #sealife #midwater #pelagic #plankton #mesopelagic #MBARI #underwaterphotography #marinebiology