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Creator:
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2014-02-03T16:12:28.000Z
Views:
1,810
Video Title:
Field Ecology: Leaping from a Mullet Skiff
Description:
With its motor near the front, the mullet skiff is an oddity. Why place a motor here? It leaves the back open for working an enormous seine net—something ecologists use to trap and study fish in Chesapeake Bay. Here, ecologists at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center launch a 200-foot seine net along a Chesapeake marsh. First, the boat captain scans the marsh for a suitable spot. A net runner uses ninja-like skills to quietly jump off the stern and secure one end of the net on the shore, while the captain speeds the skiff away, arcing around the marsh. As the skiff arcs back towards shore, the captain cranks the steering wheel and throttles down. The second net runner then jumps off the shore and quickly runs the other end of the net to shore, entrapping the fish. Timing and agility are important skills for the second net runner. Leaping off a moving boat into water that instantly stops your momentum while managing the unwieldy net is no easy feat— envision "walking" an 80-pound Golden Retriever that is determined to chase a squirrel! There have been some epic wipeouts, but all you can do is pop up and run as fast as you can to shore, splashing the entire way to prevent the fish from escaping.
Video Duration:
39 sec
YouTube Keywords:
Environment Science Marine Biology Forestry Chemistry Wetlands Estuaries Ecosystems Watersheds
YouTube Category:
Science & Technology  Search this
Topic:
Animal health;Environmental Sciences;Coastal ecology  Search this
See more by:
SmithsonianSERC
Data Source:
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
YouTube Channel:
SmithsonianSERC
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