Dataset: Gill Net Catch Data in Bays along Texas Coast from 1986 to 2018

Data consist of samples collected from Sabine Lake, Galveston Bay, Matagorda Bay, San Antonio Bay, Aransas Bay, Corpus Christi Bay, Upper Laguna Madre, and Lower Laguna Madre. Sampling was conducted twice each year during a spring sampling season (April - June) and a fall sampling season (September-November). A total of 45 gillnet samples were collected for each bay in all sampling seasons.

The gillnets used in sampling consisted of four equal length (45.7 m) panels of differing mesh sizes (76 mm, 102 mm, 127 mm, and 152 mm).

Each sampling area was divided into a one-minute latitude by a one-minute longitude sample grid, with each grid square divided into 144 gridlets of five-second latitude by five-second longitude. Sampling was conducted following a stratified cluster sampling protocol, whereby grid locations were randomly selected without replacement from the predefined sample grid within each bay, and locations within each grid randomly selected for net placement. Nets were set perpendicular to the shoreline, with the smallest mesh size nearest to the shore, and allowed to soak from  sunset to sunrise for an average of 13.5 hours Organisms greater than 5 mm in total length were identified to the lowest taxonomic level. 

Further details of sampling protocols are described in the Marine Resource Monitoring Operations Manual.