Aquatic Environmental Services

 Aquatic Environmental Services Inc.

Electrofishing is the most scientifically advanced method of analyzing fish populations in freshwater lakes and ponds. Electrofishing provides a fisheries biologist with an accurate, safe means to sample a fishery population. Our electrofishing boat is state of the art, and on average we perform this service on over 80 lakes a year.  All collected fish are sampled and released unharmed into the lake unless undesirable in which we remove.  All data is tabulated and presented in power point format with recommendations for improvements.

The following services are performed during our Electrofishing Survey (i.e. Lake Audit):
 
  • Collected fish weighed and measured
     
  • Predator to prey balance
     
  • Visual examination of fish diseases
     
  • Total species abundance
     
  • Identification of any undesirable species presence
     
  • Collected largemouth bass will be weighed and measured to calculate a relative weight
     
  • Removal of undesirable or over abundant species
     
  • Water quality analysis will be conducted for several important water quality parameters (Dissolved Oxygen, Hardness, Alkalinity, Secchi disk visibility)
     
  • Conduct site study for the physical characteristics of the lake. This includes: aquatic weeds or algae presence, dam and outlet pipe integrity, fish habitat availability, maximum depth and average depth, accurate lake sizing using satellite imagery
     
  • A management report includes: methods, background and specific explanations of the results in written and tabulated/graph format, detailed management recommendations for supplemental stocking strategies, harvesting rates and sizes of over-abundant/competitive species, supplemental feeding recommendations, lime application and fertilization recommendations. Recommendations also include comments on dam/outlet repair, fish habitat enhancement, aeration requirements, and/or aquatic weed control.

    • The following services are available upon request:

    Age/Growth Study: The otolith (ear-bone) will be removed from an adequate sample size of fish to determine the age of the fish. The ages of the fish along with length and weights will be submitted to provide valuable insight into their growth rate and potential.

    Necropsy: All fish will visually be observed for external parasites. In addition to this we will exam the guts of sacrificed fish for the presence or absence of parasite, intestinal worms, flukes, etc. If fish show poor body condition this may provide us some answers.

    Fish Tagging: We will tag up to 50 bass with numbered tags to track growth of those fish. All data (tag number, weight and length) will be submitted in the report to monitor their growth.

    DNA Study: Coming Soon

    Disease Diagnosis: Coming Soon