Data from the Depths

As summer approaches, outdoorsmen and women begin feeling a magnetic pull towards any body of water in their general vicinity. As they begin dusting off their fishing gear, fisheries managers check in with the underwater ecosystems and fish populations. One of our favorite methods to do this is electrofishing surveys. This is a scientific method involving specialized boats emitting an electric current in the body of water where the fish population is to be sampled. The fish are attracted to the current, allowing them to be caught in a net for measurement. They are held in a live well, measured quickly, and released back into the water unharmed. There are no lasting effects from the exposure to the electricity. Electrofishing allows us to bring data up from the depths that we would otherwise never access.

Last month, we performed an electrofishing survey at Hawkeye Hunting Club outside of Center, Texas. Our Nature’s Eye Media crew went along to document the day.

Each season brings new and different management projects, so make sure you’re following us on all of our social medias and keeping up. There’s so much more to come!