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Collecting Aquatic Insects and other Invertebrates

The aquatic dip net is one of the most common tools for collecting aquatic invertebrates. In wetlands, researchers sweep the net through the water to capture fast insects (water striders, whirligig beetles), scoop up little bits of vegetation off the bottom to collect bottom-dwelling invertebrates (worms, crayfish, clams) and push the net through the plants to sample clinging insects (mayfly and dragonfly larvae).

To insure that all samples are collected in the same manner, the researcher spends exactly 30 seconds collecting each sample; during that 30 seconds he or she uses the net to sample all the different habitats near them. In this picture there are at least 3 habitats: the underwater plants, the above water plants, and the wetland bottom itself.