Benthic Macroinvertebrates as indicators of water quality

Introduction & Background Information:

What living organisms are found in your stream? Are there fish? Aquatic plants? Algae?
Macroinvertebrates? Benthic macroinvertebrates are bottom dwelling invertebrates that are visible
without a microscope. These small invertebrates are easy to identify in the field. Knowing which
macroinvertebrates are present in your stream helps you determine water quality. Collecting
macroinvertebrates from a stream is easy, as is returning them unharmed to the stream after you have
identified them. How can we use macroinvertebrates as indicators of water quality? Like many other
organisms, macroinvertebrates are sensitive to changes in pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity,
turbidity and water chemistry.

Macroinvertebrates like to live around vegetation in the water or in the sediment along the
stream bed. Some macroinvertebrates are actually the larval stage of insects such as dragonflies,
mosquitoes and caddis flies. Others are crustaceans (such as crayfish), snails, worms and leeches.
Macroinvertebrates are often found in large numbers in streams and are an important part of the food
web.

Today you will be collecting, identifying, and counting benthic macroinvertebrates before
returning them unharmed to the stream.

Materials & Equipment:

Macroinvertebrate identification key
Magnifying glasses or loupe
Large clear plastic trays
Long handled net
Trowel or shovel
Waders
Tweezers

Data Collection Procedure:

1. Collect macroinvertebrates only in the area of the stream where you are instructed to collect by
your teacher.
2. Measure off a section of the stream that is at least 15 meters in length.
3. Draw a sketch showing the section of the stream you will be collecting in. Be sure to map out
any unusual features such as vegetation, rocks, or other visible features. Indicate the direction
of flow and note whether there are any areas that flow faster or are stagnant. Also, indicate
what type of vegetation is found along the stream banks and what the stream banks are
composed of.
4. Put on your waders.
5. Fill a clear plastic tray with water from the sample site.
6. Begin sampling in the area farthest downstream.
7. Use the shovel or trowel to scoop up loose materials from the stream bed. Sift the materials
through the net. Carefully remove any rocks or gravel and rinse sediment through the net.
8. Return to the stream banks and place the macroinvertebrates in the clear plastic tray.
9. You can also pick-up any larger rocks in the stream bed and look underneath them for
macroinvertebrates and pick up leaves that have fallen into the stream and look for
macroinvertebrates on them. Place them in the clear plastic tray for identification. return the
rocks to the stream bed.

Written by Aida Awad, 2011

 10. Use the macroinvertebrate identification key to sort and identify the macroinvertebrates that
you collected.
11. Record the type and number of each species you identify in the data table.
12. Return all macroinvertebrates to the stream after recording your data. Return them to the area
downstream of where you will collect next.
13. Progessively move upstream as you collect, identify, record and return macroinvertebrates to
the stream to insure that you are not recounting any previously collected individuals.

Record the number of each species collected in the data table

Group 1: Sensitive to Group 2: Somewhat Group 3:
Pollution-Found in Good Pollution Tolerant-Found Not Sensitive to
Quality Water in Fair or Good Quality Pollution-Found in Any
Water Quality Water
Stonefly Crayfish Midgefly larvae
Caddisfly Beetle larvae Blackfly larvae
Water Penny Dragonfly larvae Leeches
Riffle beetle Cranefly larvae Aquatic worms
Gilled Snail Damselfly larvae Lung snails
Dobsonfly Scuds Pouch snails
Alderfly Sowbugs
Snipefly Clams
Mayfly Fishfly
Planarian Alderfly
Mussels
Whirligig

Total: Total: Total:

Analysis and conclusion questions:

1. What affect might the vegetation along the stream banks have on the macroinvertebrates in the
stream?

Written by Aida Awad, 2011

2. What affect might the soil and sediments along the stream banks have on the macroinvertebrates in
the stream?

3. Based on your benthic macroinvertebrate data, what is the quality of the water in your stream?
Explain.

Written by Aida Awad, 2011