BCO-DMO BlogInstrument: MOCNESS1
The Multiple Opening/Closing Net and Environmental Sensing System or MOCNESS is a family of net systems based on the Tucker Trawl principle. The MOCNESS-1 carries nine 1-m2 nets usually of 335 micrometer mesh and is intended for use with the macrozooplankton. All nets are black to reduce contrast with the background. A motor/toggle release assembly is mounted on the top portion of the frame and stainless steel cables with swaged fittings are used to attach the net bar to the toggle release. A stepping motor in a pressure compensated case filled with oil turns the escapement crankshaft of the toggle release which sequentially releases the nets to an open then closed position on command from the surface. -- from the MOCNESS Operations Manual (1999 + 2003).
This system was equipped with 9 1-m^2 nets of 333 µm nitex nylon mesh, which presented a 1-m^2 mouth opening when towed with the frame at 45 degrees from the vertical. The system carried Sea Bird temperature and salinity probes, a down welling light sensor, a bottom finding 12 kHz pinger, a pressure transducer, a modified TSK flowmeter, and an angle inclinometer. Data from the sensors were transmitted up to a deck unit via conducting cable where they were displayed and saved on 1/4" cassette tape. Data were also passed from the deck unit to a CBM microcomputer for real time processing, storage on floppy disc, printing, and plotting.
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