Studying The Chemistry And The Types Of Macro Invertebrates

The health of the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay was found based on Biological (macroinvertebrates and wildlife) and Chemicals characteristics (pH, dissolved oxygen, phosphates, nitrates, etc.) as well as physical observations (amount of forested buffers, wetlands, etc.) Overall it was concluded that the health of the water was good to excellent. What was found was that many of the macroinvertebrates found in the water were sensitive or facultative, meaning the water quality was good enough for them to live in. Also, the level of ph, temperature, dissolved oxygen, phosphates, nitrates, and turbidity showed that the water quality was good. Finally, while we were canoeing down the Susquehanna River, observations were made on the land

There were 3 different groups of the critters. If they were in the 1st group the water wasnt polluted, if they were in the second group the water was somewhat polluted, and if they were in the 3rd group, the water would be polluted. We found more critters living in group 1. In the graph it shows that we found 88% of the critters in group 1 are living in the water. The critters we found in group 1 were the gilled snails, water pennies, and the mayflies. It also shows that in group 2, only about 2% of the critters living in the water. The insect we found in group 2 was the crayfish. Than, in group 3, it shows that 10.7% of critters are living in the water. The critters found in group 3 were the dragonflies, worms, and the pouched

Overall, the more macroinvertebrates in the water, the healthier the stream. pH is a measure of how acidic or basic water is. It is measured on a scale from 0-14. 0 is the most acidic, 14 is the most basic, and 7 is neutral. It is the measure of the relative amount of free hydrogen and hydroxide ions in the water. Acidic water has more hydrogen ions, and basic water has more hydroxide ions. When water’s pH is around neutral (7), that is a suitable and healthy living environment for fish, and indicates a healthy stream. If the water is too acidic or too basic, it can be harmful to the aquatic life. Dissolved oxygen is a measure of how much oxygen is dissolved in the water. As the amount of dissolved oxygen drops below normal levels in water bodies, the water quality is harmed and creatures begin to die off as a result of eutrophication. The higher the level of dissolved oxygen, the healthier the stream. When there is a lot of dissolved oxygen present it makes for a safe environment for fish to live and reproduce. Having all this healthy fish can provide us with food, so overall the more dissolved oxygen, the better. Nitrates are a compound found in fertilizers that is used to help plants grow. It is what is given off as a result of the use of nitrogen in water. The organisms in the soil eat the nitrates and it helps the metabolism and the health of organisms. Plants, such as Algae use nitrates as a source

The Ontario Benthos Biomonitoring Network was created to assess the quality of aquatic environments and ecosystems using benthos organisms as biomarkers (Ontario Ministry of the Environment, 2007). Exclusively used in Ontario, this biomonitoring program assesses ecological function and condition of streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands across the province (The Dorset Environmental Science Centre, 2017). The OBBN protocol is ideal for assessing water quality because of the use of aquatic macroinvertebrates (Borisko, et al. 2007). Since macroinvertebrates are easy and inexpensive to collect, determining water quality can be conducted continuously over the course of the year, across many locations (Borisko, et al. 2007; Ontario Ministry of the

Each person got to test either the phosphates, nitrates, dissolved oxygen, or the ph in the creek. Phosphates and nitrates are nutrients found in water due to fertilizers, decaying plants and bacteria. Dissolved oxygen is the amount of gaseous oxygen dissolved in the water. As we recorded our results, we discovered that the dissolved oxygen levels were very high, which is good because the higher amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, the healthier the creek is. The phosphates levels in the creek were all perfect zeros, which is great because having nutrients in the creek is not healthy. The nitrate levels were slightly higher, at 0.9. That is not bad at all, but it isn’t perfect, showing signs of pollution. The ph levels in the rocks were neutral, right at seven. If they were lower than 7, that would mean they have acids in them, and if they were higher than 7, they would have alkaline in them. Alkaline, or bases, neutralizes acids. The number of rocks that we found that neutralized acid was 65, and the number of rocks that did not neutralize acids were 29. This shows that about one-third of the rocks in the creek do not neutralize acids.

The first piece of evidence supporting this statement is a water quality index of 48. The 7 pollution sensitive organisms in the creek are worth three points each on the water quality index, plus the 10 moderately tolerant organisms each 2 points and the 7 tolerant organisms each 1 point add up to get the 48 water quality index. The water quality level is considered excellent if it is 23 or above. The water quality in the U-High creek is more than twice that. There were many different types of organisms found in the creek including 7 pollution intolerant micro invertebrates. The total number of organisms including the 88 pollution intolerant Caddis fly larvae point to a low pollution level in the creek. The 10 moderately tolerant micro invertebrates also point to low polluted creek. There were also a high number of midges and aquatic worms. The water in the creek was also very clear and did not have a smell. There were many small fish and plants growing in and around it concluding a low pollution level in the

For the convenience of the students, a packet for recording the stream’s content and results was provided. On the first and second page, tables for seeing the taxa types of aquatic macroinvertebrates found were laid out, and students were to check the boxes with the names of the taxa they found in this area. Students entered the stream with a large water strain, and put dirt from the stream and carried it out of the stream to be examined. After observing several catches from the stream, the group one taxa findings included Stonefly nymph, Mayfly nymph, and Dobson fly nymph.

The first station we had was counting crustaceans and macroinvertebrates in the water. We found 113 critters that belonged in group 1 which means it is quality water. There were 2 organisms in group 2 which was somewhat quality water. Also, 16 critters in group 3 which means the water is very polluted. Overall, based on the critter

Either or both of those two things could have runoff from the land and drained into the creek. They are negative to the creek. Our results showed that the creek was containing little to no phosphate. The average number after 15 tests was just 0.3- zero being the best. Similarly, nitrate is a salt or ester, but it is made of nitric acid, containing the anion NO3. It is found in runoff from fertilized farms and treatment plants. The same process was used for testing nitrate levels. The average level out of eight tests was 0.8, which is a higher than phosphate but still relatively low. Both of those test results were very positive. It showed that the creek was low in eutrophication. Another chemical test is testing for dissolved oxygen. Dissolved oxygen is microscopic bubbles of oxygen (O2) that are in the water and there for aquatic organisms to breathe in, which is necessary for almost all organisms. The testing process was similar to that of nitrate and phosphate tests. After testing the water, we got an average level of 11.4. More dissolved oxygen allows for more gaseous bubbles for organisms to breathe in. Therefore, a higher number is better. Twelve is the highest level of dissolved oxygen possible. Thus, since 11.4 is very close to 12, the dissolved oxygen level was very good. Dissolved oxygen can be changed in a number of ways. First, stagnant, or not moving, water has a much lower level of dissolved oxygen. Also, hotter water has less dissolved water. Lastly, chemicals like phosphate and nitrate can cause the growth of algae (which will be discussed in more detail in paragraph three), taking away oxygen. Additionally, the students tested for acid rain pollution. The tests falling under the acid rain category would test for acidity or alkalinity in water. We took a pH test, which is a level expressing the

One of the things students tested in the creek was the chemical composition. We were testing for eutrophication and acid rain pollution. As was aforementioned, eutrophication is extra nutrients in the water. It comes from runoff from the land through the form of overfertilization and sewage treatment plants. The tests performed to test for eutrophication were nitrate and phosphate tests. The phosphate and nitrate tests were conducted by filling a cup with water and breaking the tip of an ampule so it would fill with water. The liquid in the ampule would change color based on the amount of phosphate or nitrate in the water. Phosphate is a salt or ester of phosphoric acid containing PO43− or a related anion or a group such as —OPO(OH)2 in fertilizers and sewage treatment plants. Either or both of those two things could have runoff from the land and drained into the creek. They are negative to the creek. Our results showed that the creek

The removal method of Ringed Crayfish data collection was over a sample site area of 50m2 at Pearson Creek, a stream, containing a density of 5.18 crayfish/m2. The sample site was collected in 5m in width by 10m in height with wet, rocky, and grassy conditions. The data collection incorporated five different samples of the number of crayfish removed from the stream each time (Figure 1). Sample one caught 53 Ringed Crayfish with 0 crayfish caught prior. Sample two caught 37 Ringed Crayfish with 53 crayfish caught prior. Sample three caught 42 Ringed Crayfish with 90 crayfish caught prior. Sample four caught 26 Ringed Crayfish with 132 crayfish caught prior. Sample five caught 18 Ringed Crayfish with 158 crayfish caught prior. What was caught in the previous sample was added into the total amount of crayfish caught prior. A negative linear relationship is displayed by data collected in Figure

Located near Cowan, Pennsylvania, Conley Run is a tributary of Buffalo Creek that has experienced severe degradation due to agricultural activity. Specifically, the deposition of large amounts of animal wastes, pesticides, and fertilizers has resulted in significant eutrophication throughout the stream. Furthermore, bank degradation associated with the movement of livestock has caused the displacement of foreign sediments into stream habitats. These factors, among many others, have caused the lake to be considered “impaired” by PA-DEP. In response, the Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance, the the Union County Conservation District, and the Department of Environmental Protection and Fish and Boat Commision have partnered in an effort to restore stream habitat and create a riparian buffer to protect the stream.

The first experiment we did to find out if the creek is polluted, was to count the macroinvertebrates in the creek. A macroinvertebrate is an aquatic insect, such as a crustacean. Different

In this experiment we used aquatic macroinvertebrates to test whether the water quality differs between the north and south forks of strawberry creek. We hypothesized that the south fork would have better water quality than the north fork because the north fork has more contact with pollutants created by humans while the south fork runs through a more isolated area. Using both the metric and statistical data collected we can reasonably conclude the water that runs in the south fork contains less pollutants than the north fork. The statistical data showed us that the t-value was significantly higher than the critical t-value, which allowed us to reject the null hypothesis that the water quality was the same between the two forks. Looking at the metric data we can see that in the south fork there is more taxa present, there is a higher percentage of EPT, a lower biotic index, a lower percentage of filterers, and a larger number of predators present.

Benthic macroinvertebrates have been used to assess the health of aquatic environments. Quality analysis involves looking at benthic species composition and organization within the stream (Resh and Unzicke 1975). Different macroinvertebrates have differing sensitivities to pollutant, with some being more susceptible to environmental toxins than others (Metcalfe 1989). Such methods group macroinvertebrates in regards to their tolerance to pollution.