In line with India’s growing focus on deep-sea science and infrastructure, the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) has deployed a fully integrated clean lab, winch, and CTD system supplied by MacArtney. The solution enables high-precision data acquisition while preserving sample integrity to support marine science ambitions.

The Importance of Clean Sampling Conditions

Ensuring clean sampling conditions is essential for obtaining reliable water data that supports research into the seafloor, deep-ocean chemistry, and the dynamics of our marine environment. Operating in deep-sea conditions presents inherent challenges, from extreme pressure to the risk of introducing trace contamination during collection and handling.

MacArtney’s All-in-One Clean Lab Solution

MacArtney’s all-in-one clean lab solution addresses these challenges by providing a controlled environment for handling and analyzing water samples collected at depth, ensuring data integrity and enhancing the reliability of scientific findings.

The core of the solution is a 20-foot clean lab container, purpose-built to maintain sample integrity during deep-sea research operations. The controlled environment eliminates metal contamination and environmental interference, which can compromise trace element analysis and sensitive chemical readings.

Integrated System Components

Complementing the clean lab is a containerized MERMAC winch system with 8,000 meters of clean CTD cable and a Sea-Bird Scientific SBE 32 24-bottle carousel water sampler with high-precision CTD sensors (conductivity, temperature, depth). The cable is flushed with freshwater before re-spooling to prevent salt and metal contamination and is fitted with a TrustLink stress termination to ensure secure, reliable load transfer.

Together, the system supports ultra-clean data acquisition and enables NCPOR to conduct full-depth CTD casts with confidence in the quality and consistency of their results.

Collaboration and Support

The clean lab container was manufactured in cooperation with EMS, a long-standing MacArtney distributor in Spain. EMS is known for its expertise in customized systems and familiarity with Sea-Bird Scientific instrumentation. In India, MacArtney’s local distributor, Ms Deekay Marine Services, supports commissioning and service of the Sea-Bird Scientific equipment, ensuring responsive, on-site technical support throughout the system’s lifecycle.