IMIS - Marine Research Groups

The epibenthos and the demersal fish is sampled on a number of stations spread over the Belgian Continental Shelf. Sampling is done using a 8m beam trawl and a finemeshed shrimpnet during a half hour trawl, traveling at 3.5 knots. The use of this type of net brings less harm to the sediment ecosystem then the use of chainmatts, while it is still efficient in sampling epibenthic organisms and most of the demersal fish species. Only the organisms that attach to the bottom like, sole, semi-pelagic species like herring, thin fish species like sand eel are caught less efficient. The material is immediately sorted, with or without the use of a sorting machine and is identified, counted and measured on board and/or in the lab.