Kirstie Francis collects sponge samples from the Mohawk remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Sponge samples were stored in the ROV’s bioboxes for transport from the seafloor to the surface, where they are processed for chemistry, taxonomy, microbiology, DNA, and sponge cell culture.
Sponge Samples
Image courtesy of Exploration of Deepwater Habitats off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for Biotechnology Potential.
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Kirstie Francis collects sponge samples from the Mohawk remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Sponge samples were stored in the ROV’s bioboxes for transport from the seafloor to the surface, where they are processed for chemistry, taxonomy, microbiology, DNA, and sponge cell culture.

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