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Aquatic Nets

Author: Pat Wooden
Mississippi Entomological Museum, Mississippi State University, MS 39762
Uploaded March 10, 2026

Aquatic nets come in a variety of sizes and shapes. The most common net is the D-Frame, named for the D shaped bag frame. The flat bottom allows the user to place rocks and other heavy objects in the bottom of the net to keep benthic invertebrates from escaping underneath in the current.

Circular framed nets are also available in a wide variety of mesh sizes, which facilitates capture of smaller aquatic mites and larvae in the water column.

D frame net held by P. Wooden
D frame net held by P. Wooden

Ray Fisher with aquatic net
Dr. Ray Fisher with a mite net

Seins, while traditionally thought of for fish sampling, can also be used for aquatic macroinvertebrates. Traditionally, these are weighted at the bottom and strung across the river channel to collect everything passing through. One man seins can also be held at an angle when traversing wetlands to pull up floating vegetation and pick macroinvertebrates. By pulling the mesh out of the water column, small individuals can be aspirated without filling the sample vial with water.

seining for insects
Dr. Pat Wooden using a sein for wetland collecting (photo by Mike Ferro, CUAC)