Watch this video to learn how we help get fish back down to the seafloor after they are caught on catch-and-release hook-and-line surveys. Many rockfish species experience barotrauma: physiological effects due to the rapid changes in water pressure and expanding air in their bodies. Sometimes they need a little extra assistance to swim back down and recompress that expanded air. We use ‘descending devices’ that help drop fish safely back to deeper waters where they can swim another day.
As an extra treat, check out this underwater video showing the use of a SeaQualizer with a large Red Snapper in the Gulf of Mexico to see how these devices release the fish.