A simple device for sampling pond sediment

The sediment and water inter-phase layer in aquaculture ponds is a dynamic zone that plays a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of the pond system. An accurate sediment profile of the soft-watery layer that includes several important parameters can only be determined by using an adequate sampling technique. Because most of the commercially available grabs and soil corers currently used do not fulfill these requirements, a new, simple device for sediment sampling was designed in the framework of the European Union (EU)-funded ASIARESIST project. The sampler was used to collect samples from the upper 5 to 10 cm soil layer for bacteriological analysis from aquaculture ponds in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The sampler consisted of a three-piece PVC pipe that could be sterilized and had a total length of 230 cm. Each section was threaded at the end except for the top of the first and last section that tapered into a sharp point at an angle of 458. When dismantled into sections, the sampler was convenient to transport and to reassemble at the site of sampling. The sediment sampler proved to be effective in obtaining intact profiles of bottom sediment, including soft sediments, was user-friendly and could be easily constructed at low cost