EAI is pleased to announce an important addition to its fleet, a 24-ft pontoon boat for freshwater/shallow water projects. We lovingly nicknamed her “Gator Bait” due to some superficial battle scars from the reptile so known and revered in Florida. EAI now owns three boats: a 25-ft Parker for work in nearshore ocean waters, a 20-ft Caprice for work in sheltered inland waterways, and this new-to-us pontoon boat.

Gator Bait is set up for electrofishing and includes a centralized live well and open deck space for flexibility in project requirements. As described by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (“FWC”):

An electrofishing boat uses a generator to produce electricity. The electricity travels to the poles, called booms, at the front of the boat and into the water. The electric field does not kill fish but temporarily stuns or impairs those that swim within a 6- to 8-foot radius from the booms. The fish can then be scooped up and handled with little stress or injury.

Electrofishing allows biologists to efficiently collect data on many species of fish, often with less impact than nets and hooks. Furthermore, electrofishing does not harm the eggs of female fish. To learn more about electrofishing, please visit the FWC’s website.