Pratje under-way bottom sampler, 1950

In some parts of the sea, the sediment faces change over very short distances. If the time taken to recover a sample can be reduced, it becomes possible to carry out detailed surveys of superficial bottom deposits. This apparatus was developed for such a purpose by Otto Pratje for the German Hydrographic Institute. The corner penetrates the sediments under its own weight and is used with the ship under way.