Steward B. McKinney Refuge, CT, USA	Portable Platform (2 planks), Barn Island, CT USA

There are situations where you may not be able to use a permanent sampling platform and a temporary platform may be the right choice. Portable platforms do not stay on site like a permanent platform. They are carried out for the sampling then removed when you are finished.

Reasons for a temporary platform:
a) Some managers or agencies may not allow permanent platforms.
b) Some study areas are remote and logistically difficult to transport the lumber to and build.
c) A permanent platform may be too visible and attract unwanted attention to your site.
d) Cost of the wood and supplies.

These circumstances may result in the use of a portable platform. A portable platform consists of one or two wooden (or aluminum) planks with "milk crates" or "step stools" taped to the bottom to elevate the planks above the marsh surface. The step-stools will have small boards bolted to the bottom to keep the legs from piercing the soil (see photos below). Planks are usually about 10' (2"x10"x10' or 2"x8"x10') in length. We now use Aluminum Bleacher seats (9.5" wide) instead of a wooden plank. This results in a lighter platform which is relatively easy to transport.

For portable platforms to be successful, the site has to have relatively firm sediments. You also need to mark the boundaries of your study area with stakes to delineate where you need to use the plank. We typically stake the area around the SET with fiberglass or pvc stakes.

Conceptual diagram showing a typical plot layout when using a portable platform.
Steward B. McKinney Refuge, CT, USA	Blackwater NWR, MD, USA
Taping step-stools to the aluminum plank, Fire Island NS, NY, USA	Portable platforms are light. Rachel Carson NWR, ME, USA
Step Stool with wooden supports added.	Wooden supports are bolted to the step stool.

Permanent Platform - crevass pond Delta NWR, Louisiana, USA	Permanent Platform - brackish marsh Edgewater, MD, USA
salt marsh Rachel Carson NWR, Maine, USA	mangrove, saltmarsh Jervis Bay, NSW, Australia

Design:
Permanent Platforms are usually constructed out of treated lumber consisting of 2 planks (2"x10"x8' or 2"x10"x10') supported by 2 “teeth” which are pounded into the ground. The teeth are constructed out of 2, 2x4's bolted to a 32" crosspiece. The crosspiece is made out of a 2x4 or a 2x6.

The length of the legs on the teeth will vary depending on where you are installing them. In shallow ponds or in unconsolidated sediments, you may need 8' long legs. You may also need to add a second crosspiece to the tooth to stabilize it further. In firm or very firm marshes, you will need legs 4' or less. Be sure to have the 2 vertical legs stick up above the crosspiece a few inches. This will provide a guide to keep the planks from sliding off the tooth.

The 2 planks on a platform are spaced about 8 feet apart (See below diagram). A third plank (10' is ideal) is laid across the other 2 planks to access the area around the SET pipe. The platform is laid out with the SET sampling sites located between the two planks. Feldspar plots, if used, are located around the outside of the platform.

Installation:

McFaddin NWR, TX USA- Note planks in airboat	McFaddin NWR, TX USA - Note Teeth in airboat
Step 1 - Install the Front Two Teeth
Insert the front two teeth. They will be about 6-8 feet apart. Use a sledgehammer to knock them into the substrate. Crosspieces should be about 1-2 feet above the surface. Possibly higher if you are in a pond.
McFaddin NWR, Texas USA
Step 2 - Lay Planks
Lay planks on each tooth. The far end of the plank will be laying on the marsh (or on the pond bottom). Make sure they are perpendicular to the tooth.
Tijuana Slough NWR,CA USA
Step 3 - Install the Back Teeth
Walk out onto the plank with a tooth in your hands ready to install. Be careful, this is a tricky maneuver and you may be likely to slip. Have another person steady the board you are walking on. This same person can pass you the sledgehammer once you're at the end of the plank. While standing on the plank, knock the far tooth into the ground. Do the same for the other side. All four teeth are now in the ground.
	Everglades National Park, FL USA
Step 4 - Finished
Walk back to the end of the plank and step off. Pull the board back and lay it on top of the far tooth. You are finished! Bolts: Be sure to tighten the bolts on the crosspieces after the platform is assembled. Planks: If you are leaving the planks on the platform, you might consider nailing them down. This will keep them from floating away and getting stolen (hopefully).
McFaddin NWR, TX USA	Everglades NP, FL USA