The Capture from a Boat/Open Water Contributed by Susan Butler, General Biologist, Sirenia Project All of the manatees you are tracking were captured using a boat and a very long net, and this is called an "open-water" capture. We use a specially designed boat and actually drive out in open water, net a manatee, and then pull it up into the boat. Boat captures are preferred for recapturing already tagged manatees (e.g. for medical assessment), for capturing injured manatees, and for captures in areas without an adjacent smooth beach for safely hauling the manatee up on shore. Specially Designed Boat for Manatee Captures this boat does not have a back end (known as a "transom"), so that it is easier to pull the manatee up on to the boat. Credit: USGS, BRD, Sirenia Project   Take a look at an actual open water capture on this video, and then think through the Journaling Questions below- how would you plan and perform the capture you see on the video? After that, you can get the full details in my full report! Capture from Boat Watch it Now (Viewing Tips) Video Credit: SMC, International Film Projects,Inc Try This! Journaling Questions: a) Preparing for the Capture: Although this open water capture may look like it takes a short time, can you imagine how much planning and teamwork must take place ahead of time? Watch the video again. Think about all the people that are involved, and the equipment and the locations. Then, ask yourselves, if you were in charge of planning an open water capture,how would you plan it? Develop a timeline of when you would start, who you would contact, what job responsibilities you would assign, what experts you would need, what equipment, what permissions you might need. b) The Capture: From what you've seen, try to describe exactly what steps are involved once the boat heads out into the water. How is the net put in place? How is the manatee pulled into the net? How is it lifted into the boat? And what's so special about this boat that helps the capture? During a capture, what would you look for to make sure the manatee is not harmed during capture? After you've thought these things through, go to Susan Butler's full report for the details of every step of this exciting process. Then come back and see how you did in planning and performing the capture. Copyright 2002-2004 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form