208 
Fishery Bulletin 115(2) 
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 Fourchon, Belle Pass, Louisiana, and the sampling site in Bay¬ 
ou Tartellan identified by a black circle on the map. Sampling for larval 
Gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) was conducted from October 2006 
through April 2007 and again from September 2007 through April 2008. (B) 
Aerial photograph of the sampling site at 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) orientation 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. 
mize avoidance of the net. The ring net was outfitted 
with a gimbal and current vain for proper net orienta¬ 
tion. The net system was raised and lowered for sam¬ 
pling and collection of samples by using a fixed da¬ 
vit, from which was suspended a stainless steel cable 
from above the sampling deck to the channel bottom. 
Samples were collected by using a plastic vinyl coated 
codend with 333-pm-mesh drainage ports attached to 
the end of the net. To determine the volume of filtered 
water, a flowmeter (model no. 2030; General Oceanics 
Inc.3, Miami, FL) was positioned slightly off center of « 
the ring to determine the volume of water filtered. ! 
Samples were collected every 4 h over a 72-h pe- ; 
riod, twice monthly between the months of October j 
and April, over a 2-year period (2006-2008), except j 
during December and January, which were sampled | 
i 
^ 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. 
