Experimental data is presented demonstrating how microbial fuel cells (MFC's) could survive temporary (60 min) sediment separation and reattachment without any adverse effects from oxygen exposure. Mud-enclosed anodes, housed in open bottom chambers, were detached or “unplugged” from the sediment with no change in their open circuit voltage levels. For reattaching MFC devices on the sediment, oxygen content that could be inadvertently trapped or ingested by the MFC platform was shown to be consumed within 1 day using a 1% mud/seawater solution.