An important part of the CHESPAX SAV Monitoring Project are the in-shore fish surveys conducted by the participating seventh grade students. A 15 foot seine net is used to sample the fish populations near the canoe landing on the Patuxent River at King's Landing Park. Students record the different species collected as well as the number of individuals of each species captured. After identification and recording, the fish are released back into the river.
This activity provides opportunities for students to connect the importance
of SAV to fish species as well as to provide an on-going study of local
fish population trends. Several years of data have shown the cyclical
nature of population levels for different species.