Instrument: Methot Net

A Methot Net, a type of plankton net, is used to sample juvenile fish, shrimp, and 'larger' plankton, e.g. 4 millimeters and larger. Named after its designer, Richard D. Methot, of La Jolla, California, it is also called a Methot Trawl. It is a single net with a large square opening or mouth. The net is deployed from the stern and towed behind the vessel. The Methot uses fine mesh (e.g. 4 mm) but with openings slightly larger than other plankton net systems. The larger mesh size allows the net to be towed at higher speeds. A flowmeter suspended in the mouth of net measures the flow of water moving through the net and allows for the calculation of the volume of water sampled. With its larger mouth and faster speed through the water, the Methot is designed to catch the larger zooplankton that are often missed by other plankton net samplers.