Evaluation of a System to Automatically Sample Zooplankton From the Discharge of Dams1

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Automatic plankton samplers installed at two dams on the Connecticut River Continuously monitored crustacean zooplankton from October 1977 through 1979 and allowed a significant reduction in man‐hours involved in an extensive sampling program. Automatic samplers efficiently sampled most species and size classes of crustacean zooplankton in a similar, but not consistently identical manner as a commonly used towed‐net plankton sampler. The smallest sized zooplankton were captured more efficiently than the largest. Mesh selection and sampler avoidance exerted different influences on automatic samplers and towed nets. Future use of the samplers and direct comparison of results to results obtained by other methods was supported.