Aquatic biomonitoring

Aquatic biomonitoring is the science of inferring the ecological condition of rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands by examining the organisms that live there. While aquatic biomonitoring is the most common form of such biomonitoring, any ecosystem can be studied in this manner.

Biomonitoring typically takes two approaches:

• Bioassays, where test organisms are exposed to an environment to see if mutations or deaths occur. Typical organisms used in bioassays are fish, water fleas (Daphnia), and frogs.

• Community assessments, also called biosurveys, where an entire community of organisms is sampled, to see what types of taxa remain. In aquatic ecosystems, these assessments often focus on invertebrates, algae, macrophytes (aquatic plants), fish, or amphibians.^[1] Rarely, other large vertebrates (reptiles, birds, and mammals) are considered as well.

Aquatic invertebrates have the longest history of use in biomonitoring programs.^[2] In typical unpolluted temperate streams of Europe and North America, certain insect taxa predominate. Mayflies (Ephemeroptera), caddisflies (Trichoptera), and stoneflies (Plecoptera) are the most common insects in these undisturbed streams. In rivers disturbed by urbanization, agriculture, forestry, and other perturbations, flies (Diptera), and especially midges (family Chironomidae) predominate. Aquatic invertebrates have been observed to be responsive to climate change. ^[3]

See also

• Bioindicator
• Biological integrity
• Indicator species
• Water pollution
• Biological monitoring working party

References

External links

• Biological Assessment of Water Quality – US EPA

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