Plankton are collected using plankton nets. Various plankton nets have been developed to study the species composition of plankton communities in the ocean, their ecology, and material circulation through the plankton community. The basic structure of a plankton net is similar to a "tamo net" with a nylon mesh (net) attached to a frame, which is simply moved in the ocean to filter plankton communities from the seawater. The original plankton net instrument was already in use during the adventures of the Challenger (1872-1876). Over time, as the species composition and ecology of marine plankton communities have been elucidated, plankton net structures and towing methods have been modified. Here, (1) plankton net structure and collection principles and (2) towing methods are described, as well as (3) how to determine net depth and (4) how to measure filter water volume to improve the quantification of plankton net sample collection. In addition, (5) typical plankton nets that are commonly used today will be introduced.
