20 
Fishery Bulletin 1 14(1) 
Figure 1 
(A) Map of the sampling location for this study in relation to the Gulf of Mexico 
and coastal Louisiana. The upper right inset represents the area around Port Four- 
chon, Belle Pass, Louisiana, and the sampling site in Bayou Tartellan identified 
by a black circle on the map. Sampling for larval and juvenile Atlantic croaker 
( Micropogonias undulatus) was conducted from October 2006 through April 2007 
and then from September 2007 through April 2008. (Bl Aerial photograph of the 
sampling site on Bayou Tartellan; the black circle again identifies the sampling 
site. (C) Diagram of the sampling system: 1) fixed dock where the sampling system 
was attached, 2) davit that was used to extend the net farther into the channel, 3) 
cable system by which the net was raised and lowered, 4) water surface, 5) orienta- 
tion vane for the net system, 6) 60-cm metal ring that held open the net mouth, 7) 
pivoting gimbal, 8) 333-pm mesh net, dyed dark green, and 9) plastic, vinyl-coated 
codend with 333-pm drainage ports. 
a stainless steel cable was suspended from above the 
sampling deck to the channel bottom (Fig. 1C). Ichthyo- 
plankton were sampled passively with a 60-cm ring net 
(333-pm mesh, 2-m length) that was dyed dark green 
to minimize visibility, and hence avoidance, and that 
was attached to a gimbal with a vane for orientation 
into the current. A plastic, vinyl-coated codend with 
333-pm mesh drainage ports was attached to the end 
of the net to facilitate sample collection. A flowmeter 
(model no. 2030; General Oceanics 2 , Miami, FL) with a 
2 Mention of trade names or commercial companies is for iden- 
tification purposes only and does not imply endorsement by 
the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA. 
