Microbial activity measurements of deep-sea waters without changing pressure during sampling, retrieval, transfer (if necessary), subsambling are performed without any change of hydrostatic pressure condition found in situ thanks our specialized gear: the High Pressure Serial Sampler (HPSS).
	Sub-samples may be extracted without decompression of the main culture, allowing time series experiments
	The High Presure Serial Pressure (HPSS) has been developed by the Laboratoire de Microbiologie Marine (Bianchi et al., 1999)

The High Pressure Serial Sampler (HPSS) is a Sea-Bird Carousel fitted with eight 500-ml High-Pressure bottles (HPB) where hydrostatic pressure is permanently monitored during filling, retrieval and incubation. 

HPBs are in stainless coating with PEEK to avoid chemical inhibition of microbial activities. 

Fluorescent or radiolabeled tracers are injected in each bottle before sampling.

Functionning of a HPB:

- Filling of HPB --> click here (Powerpoint animation) directly if you used Explorer else "save as" if you used Netscape.

- Sub-sampling of HPB --> click here (Powerpoint animation) directly if you used Explorer else "save as" if you used Netscape.

The high-pressure lab is fully equipped with special high pressure devices usefull to work in this field: pressure multiplicator, compressor, HPLC pump, atmospheric/hydrostatic pressure transformers, digital manometer, high-pressure chambers, high-pressure bottles (500 mL, 5 L, 100 mL),...

More recently, I have developed laboratory experiments to simulate particle sinking from the sea surface to the deep ocean, in order to quantify the rate of mineralization of organic particles during their sinking period throughout the water column.

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