Marine Life Cruises

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	The Fish Trap or Fish Pot The Fish Trap or Fish Pot remains in the harbor throughout the spring and summer season. In it, we often find tautog (a.k.a. blackfish), black sea bass, scup, and very large spider crabs.

The Otter Trawl
The Otter Trawl is a long net used in commercial fishing (ours is a smaller version) that is towed behind the boat to catch bottom dwelling (benthic) organisms. The idea is to tow it long enough that organisms will tire out from the chase and be caught in the net. Our catch usually consists of benthic fish like flounders, skates, sea robins, and sometimes dogfish (shark), but it is not uncommon to find other organisms as well.

	The Plankton Tow The Plankton Tow is a large, fine meshed net used for catching small “drifting” plants and animals known as plankton. Not all plankton is microscopic. We usually find crab zoea and crab megalops, copepods, comb jellies, and hydromedusa.

	The Scallop Drag The Scallop Drag is a medium sized “basket-like” net used in commercial fishing. The scallop drag is dragged along the bottom to “kick up” sediment and anything living in it. Our catch usually consists of mollusks, crustaceans, and small fish, but it is not uncommon to find other organisms as well.