Here we are deploying a CTD (short for Conductivity-Temperature-Depth). The instrument used for CTDs weighs about 1000 lb. and is lowered to 500 meters on a cable by one of our deck winches. As the unit descends and ascends, it collects data on Temperature, Depth, Salinity, Oxygen and Chlorophyll levels. Chlorophyll is measured to be used as an indication of the amount of algae (phytoplankton) present in the water. The unit also has numerous large bottles attached to it, which are remotely triggered by one of the ship's computers to collect samples of water at various depths for further analysis.