Procedure

Washing The Samples

1) Put on safety wear (lab coat, goggles and gloves)
2)Log the sample that you are using, amount of time it was soaking, your initials, and what wash number it is.
3)Grab a 63 μm sieve and a squeeze bottle of de-ionized water.
4)Start the de-ionized water tap and begin washing microfossils into the sieve being aware of the water pressure.
5)While cleaning the fossils keep checking until the water running through is clear and not foggy. After cleaning the fossils though grab a plastic funnel and filter.
6)Label the filter with the sample an wash number.
7)Collect the clean microfossils into the filter. Try not to get it into the folds.
8) While filling the filter, keep checking to make sure that the water that is being strained is not overfilling the beaker.
9)Log the time it took to wash the sample and label it clean or write any notes (whether it needs another wash, large microfossils, etc.)
10) Put sample in the oven to dry and repeat steps for the rest of the samples.

Getting Dry Weight
1) Grab a stapled set of samples and beakers.
2) Using a piece of masking tape, label the bag with the beaker number and the date.
3)Get the balance ready by leveling it out to zero.
4) Record the sample ID into the log and the weight of the empty beaker.
5) Measure the weight of the beaker and record into log.
6) Cut open the sample bag take out plastic tube. Put some of the sample into the beaker making sure to scrape the excess off of the plastic tube.

7)Leave at least a pinch full of the sample in the bag for bulk sediment analysis.

8)Seal the labeled sample bag back up using the heat sealer and set the beaker aside.
9)Continue steps 1 through 8 with the rest of the samples in the set. When that set is completed, staple them back up and continue with another set.

Bottling Dry Samples
1) Grab samples from oven, two boats, a small paintbrush, and a scrap piece of paper.
2) Place the scrap piece of paper down on work station to avoid samples from spilling.
3) Record the sample ID, amount of washes, date and weight of empty boat into the binder.
4) Label the vials with the designated sample label, and also label the top of the vial with a small sticker.
5) Empty the sample in the filter into a boat (the one you measured beforehand) and dust off the paper for remaining samples.
6) Measure and record.
7) Place vial in the empty boat and start carefully pouring the sample into the vial. Brush off the boat until it doesn't have any sample in it.
8) Put the vial aside.
9) Clean off the paintbrush and the boats and follow the steps above for the rest of the samples.