AMS Shallow Water Bottom Dredge

AMS Shallow Water Bottom Dredge

Brand Chemical Supplies provides the AMS Shallow Water Bottom Dredge, a rugged and highly effective tool designed for sampling benthic organisms and sediments from the bottom of shallow freshwater bodies. Engineered for durability and ease of use, this “Ekman-style” dredge is an essential component for environmental consultants, limnologists, and water quality researchers throughout South Africa.

Technical Specifications

Key Features & Benefits

• Clean Sample Collection: The top of the dredge is equipped with overlapping stainless steel flaps that open during the descent to allow water to pass through, reducing the “pressure wave” that can blow away fine surface sediments and organisms.

• Precision Triggering: The spring-loaded jaws are triggered by a weighted “messenger” sent down the line, ensuring the dredge only closes once it has reached the desired depth and settled on the bottom.

• Corrosion-Resistant Construction: Built entirely from high-grade stainless steel and specialized springs, this unit is designed to withstand repeated exposure to various water chemistries without rusting or seizing.

• Versatile for Soft Bottoms: While optimized for soft silt, mud, and sandy bottoms, the dredge’s powerful spring tension ensures a tight seal, retaining the sample securely as it is pulled to the surface.

• Lightweight & Portable: Unlike heavy deep-sea dredges, this unit is easily deployed by a single operator from a small boat, pier, or even while wading in shallow streams.

Primary Applications

• Benthic Macroinvertebrate Studies: Collecting samples of bottom-dwelling organisms to assess the biological health of rivers, dams, and wetlands.

• Sediment Analysis: Retrieving samples for chemical testing, including heavy metal analysis and nutrient loading studies.

• Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA): Establishing baseline data for infrastructure projects near water bodies.

• Educational Research: A standard tool for university-level aquatic biology and environmental science programs.

Operating Procedure

1. Set Jaws: Open the spring-loaded scoops and lock them into the “set” position using the safety pins.

2. Deployment: Lower the dredge slowly to the bottom using the nylon rope.

3. Trigger: Once the line goes slack, slide the messenger down the rope to strike the trigger mechanism.

4. Retrieval: Pull the dredge steadily to the surface. The overlapping top flaps will close, preventing the sample from washing out during the ascent.

Contact our environmental equipment team at Brand Chemical Supplies today to secure your AMS Shallow Water Bottom Dredge and ensure accurate, reliable sampling for your aquatic research.