A 3x4 m floating research platform with a three-legged tower (UWITEC) and three winches is used for coring of lacustrine, marine or fluvial unconsolidated sediments. Coring is performed using a piston corer that is two or three meters long, with an inner tube diameter of 60 mm. With this platform, sampling is possible up to a water column depth of 100 m.

The platform is mobile and can be transported on a trailer. It can be powered by an outboard motor or towed by a small boat.

The research platform “Q2” was improved with the acquisition of a set of electric winches and a speed controller for faster and more efficient sampling with a piston corer. Long ropes of 300 m and associated reels for easier handling and 150-m-long stainless-steel cables were also purchased.