Advantages and disadvantages of remote sampling

Advantages Disadvantages

Remote sampling

 Allows precise measurement of Will not reliably sample:

densities of the smaller sediment
fauna Deep-burrowing megafauna
 No depth or time limitations on
sampling Large, mobile animals (eg. Nephrops
 Field operation relatively simple
 Standard equipment readily available Large epifauna at low densities (eg. sea pens)
 Water turbidity unimportant
Gives little information on bottom topography
or burrow types

Standard sampling area very small (0.1 m

grab)

  Analysis of samples time-consuming and

labour-intensive

Equipment needs hard boat to operate. May be

unable to access very shallow areas or
enclosed inlets

Diving

 Allows first-hand observation at close Strict depth and time constraints

range
 Allows accurate density Has potential physical hazards (eg.
measurements of sea floor features decompression sickness)
(burrow openings, sea pens)
 Allows repeated monitoring of fixed Operations subject to strict legislative controls
study sites
 Benthic samples can be collected (eg. Only possible to cover small areas on
hand-cores, burrow resin casts) individual dives
 Equipment readily available,
relatively inexpensive compared with Effectiveness can be limited by water turbidity
ROVs or underwater video
 Can be carried out from small boats
or from the shore, allowing access to
 very shallow or semi-enclosed waters
Towed underwater video
 Able to survey large expanses of sea
floor quickly
 Allows precise density measurements
of features of interest (eg. burrow
openings, sea pens)
 No depth or time constraints (in
coastal waters)
 Gives much information on sea bed
topography and burrow types present,
also on behaviour of benthic animals.
Remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs
 No time constraints. Depth range
limited by length of umbilical but
most models can access depths likely
to be encountered in UK coastal
waters
 Able to cover wide areas (relative to
capacity of human divers)
 Mobility allows close-up examination
of sea bed
 Give much information on sea bed
topography and burrow types present
 Deployment areas less restricted than
towed video. Can be used over mixed
substrata or in areas with submarine
obstructions
 Some models able to collect benthic
samples
Equipment needs hard boat to operate. May be
unable to access very shallow waters or
enclosed inlets
Equipment readily available but expensive
Analysis of videotapes can be very time-
consuming
Not possible to collect benthic samples
Provides no information on smaller sediment
fauna
Effectiveness can be limited by water turbidity
Care required in choice of towing path (need to
avoid wrecks, rock outcrops and other
submarine obstructions)
Equipment needs a hard boat to operate. May
be unable to access very shallow waters or
enclosed inlets
Equipment very expensive
Precise quantification of sea bed features
difficult due to changes in field of view
Effectiveness can be limited by water turbidity
(the ROV motors themselves may disturb the
bottom sediments)
Provide only limited information on smaller
sediment fauna
Sampling of sea floor features is non-random
 Acoustic surveys

 No depth (within coastal waters) or
time limitations
 Allows substrata to be mapped
rapidly over large areas
 Water turbidity unimportant
Equipment needs a hard boat to operate. May
be unable to access very shallow waters or
enclosed inlets
Equipment very expensive

Results need to be ‘ground-truthed’ by other

methods (eg. grab sampling, towed video)

Does not provide details of biological

community composition or species abundance

Not able to collect benthic samples

References

1. Need for Sampling:

            Sometimes there is a need for sampling. Suppose we want to inspect the eggs, the bullets,
the missiles and the tires of some firm. The study may be such that the objects are destroyed
during the process of inspection. Obviously, we cannot afford to destroy all the eggs and the
bullets etc. We have to take care that the wastage should be minimum. This is possible only in
sample study. Thus sampling is essential when the units under study are destroyed.

2. Saves Time and Cost:

            As the size of the sample is small as compared to the population, the time and cost
involved on sample study are much less than the complete counts. For complete count huge
funds are required. There is always the problem of finances. A small sample can be studied in a
limited time and total cost of sample study is very small. For complete count, we need a big team
of supervisors and enumeration who are to be trained and they are to be paid properly for the
work they do. Thus the sample study requires less time and less cost.

3. Reliability:

            If we collect the information about all the units of population, the collected information
may be true. But we are never sure about it. We do not know whether the information is true or is
completely false. Thus we cannot say anything with confidence about the quality of information.
We say that the reliability is not possible. This is a very important advantage of sampling. The
inference about the population parameters is possible only when the sample data is collected
from the selected sample.

4. Sometimes the experiments are done on sample basis. The fertilizers, the seeds and the
medicines are initially tested on samples and if found useful, then they are applied on
large scale. Most of the research work is done on the samples.
5. Sample data is also used to check the accuracy of the census data.