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Sediment grab samplers are used to collect sediments and assess populations of benthic fauna from the seafloor. The Van Veen grab sampler is comprised of a hinged pair of scoops that can be deployed over the side of the vessel and lowered to the seafloor on a cable. The scoops are approximately 31 centimeters wide to allow sampling of a 0.1 square meter area of the seafloor. Sharp cutting edges on the bottoms of the scoops enable them to penetrate up to about 40 centimeters into the sediment. The grab sampler may be galvanized, stainless steel, or teflon-coated.