Sampling of Nekton and Associated Plant

The engine was turned off once the boat approached the sampling site to minimize site disturbance prior to sampling. The boat drifted or was slowly guided to the sampling site by pushing from the stern. Immediately after drop sampler deployment, field personnel pushed the sampler approximately 15 cm into the sediment to obtain a proper seal along the bottom of the trap to prevent escape of organisms via a trap blow-out. If the sample was taken in a marsh, vascular plant stems enclosed in the sampler were clipped at ground level and counted. If submerged aquatic vegetation was present, percent coverage was estimated and the plants identified to species