![]() Boats feature emergency shut-off switches if the power needs to be turned off quickly. With output on electrofishing boats possibly reaching up to 1,000 volts, safety is especially important. Backpack units have safety features that shut down the unit when the anode is out of the water or if the operator falls into the stream. Operators wear rubber waders and gloves to protect against shocking. Power output generated by electrofishing can cause serious damage to humans so safety is the priority during electrofishing operations. What safety precautions are in place during electrofishing operations? If scientists are electrofishing from a boat, fish are collected and held in a tank until they are released. Biologists are careful to use the least amount of current possible to ensure fish are stunned but not harmed. Recovery time varies with species, water temperature, and amount of current used. Fish recover fully in a matter of minutes, sometimes in seconds, and are returned to the water quickly. When electrofishing is performed correctly, the fish are temporarily stunned, allowing biologists to collect them using dip nets. Fish are generally affected within six to eight feet of the booms.Įlectrofishing in the Patuxent River at Jug Bay The stunned fish are drawn toward the anodes, where they are caught with a net. The boat itself is the other electrode, the cathode. For some boats, metal wires dangling in the water at the front of the boat are also anodes. When electrofishing from a boat, the anodes are mounted on two booms off the bow of the boat. In larger streams and rivers, the method is similar, with a generator helping to provide electrical current on a floating raft or boat instead of a battery in a backpack. The anode is located at the end of a long pole held by the operator and the cathode is a cable that trails behind the operator. Upon reaching the anode, fish are stunned.īatteries supply the electrical current in backpack units. When the proper amount of current is applied to the water, fish are drawn toward the anode through involuntary muscle movements. Electrofishing boats are used in lakes, reservoirs, or freshwater portions of rivers.Įlectrofishing uses direct current electricity flowing between electrodes, one of which is an anode.A floating raft unit is often used in larger streams and rivers.In smaller streams, biologists use backpack units.There are several methods of electrofishing: Data collected from electrofishing can be used to determine abundance, density, species composition, and health of fish populations. The fish can then be collected via dip net for identification. This tool uses an electric field, emitted from a pulser, to temporarily stun fish. Electrofishing in the Patapsco River by Stephen BadgerĮlectrofishing is a technique used by fish biologists to collect fish in freshwater streams, rivers, and lakes.
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