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Mainstem Athabasca River Biomonitoring

Benthic macroinvertebrates, comprising insects, crusteaceans, molluscs and worms, represent a group of organisms used widely in environmental monitoring programs as early warning indicators to assess the effects of change in water quality or physical habitat conditions on aquatic ecosystem health. An interpretive report (Culp et. al., 2018) was released in 2018 which included assessments of the benthic and supporting data from 2012-2015. An excerpt from the executive summary regarding the mainstem benthic invertebrate results is provided below and the full report can be found online at https://open.alberta.ca/publications/9781460140314).

Tributary Biomonitoring (Lower Athabasca River)

Benthic macroinvertebrates, comprising insects, crusteaceans, molluscs and worms, represent a group of organisms used widely in environmental monitoring programs as early warning indicators to assess the effects of change in water quality or physical habitat conditions on aquatic ecosystem health. An interpretive report (Culp et. al., 2018) was released in 2018 which included assessments of the benthic and supporting data from 2012-2015. An excerpt from the executive summary regarding the tributary benthic invertebrate results is provided below and the full report can be found online at https://open.alberta.ca/publications/9781460140314.

This dataset contains monitoring data for benthic invertebrate communities along the Thompson River Corridor. The raw data in this dataset is used to calculate benthic invertebrate richness and the percentage of Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies), and Trichoptera (caddisflies) (EPT) species (some of the most important species that indicate a healthy system). The data is collected annually in early-July at pre-determined sites along the Thompson River. Full benthic invertebrate sampling and habitat assessments are completed in accordance with CABIN protocols.

This dataset contains monitoring data for benthic invertebrate communities along the Hornaday River Corridor. The raw data in this dataset is used to calculate benthic invertebrate richness and the percentage of Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies), and Trichoptera (caddisflies) (EPT) species (some of the most important species that indicate a healthy system). The data is collected annually in early-July at pre-determined sites along the Hornaday River. Full benthic invertebrate sampling and habitat assessments are completed in accordance with CABIN protocols.

The Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) is a national aquatic biomonitoring program, established and maintained by Environment and Climate Change Canada, to provide a standardized protocol for the ecological assessment of freshwater ecosystems with the use of benthic macroinvertebrate communities as biological indicators for stream or river conditions. The purpose of the benthic invertebrates monitoring program at Kouchibouguac National Park is to assess the status of freshwater benthic invertebrate assemblages over time and detect trends in order to provide an early warning of deterioration through reductions in total taxa richness, EPT index (i.e., pollution-sensitive taxa richness), or an increase in the Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI) for organic pollution. All field and laboratory procedures follow standard CABIN protocols. A total of 13 sites are monitored; 6 located within KNP boundaries and are sampled annually (PRT01, FNT01, PLY01, BLK01, RNK01, MKL01); while 7 sites are located outside KNP but within the zone of influence and cooperation; 3 of which are also sampled annually (KCC03, KCS03, RTB01-02) while the remaining 4 are sampled in alternate years (KCC01, KCC02, KCS01, KCS02).

Benthic invertebrates are considered to be strong indicators of aquatic health. They can be found in all fresh water ecosystems and are sensitive to a variety of environmental disturbances. Hundreds of species inhabit our streams and rivers, some of which are known to be more sensitive than others. Monitoring the abundance and tolerant versus sensitive benthic invertebrates serves as an indicator of the health of streams and rivers.

This dataset covers the monitoring of benthic invertebrate communities in 11 streams or rivers in Forillon National Park since 2007. The sampling methods and techniques used for this monitoring are based on those of the Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) established by Environment Canada. This follow-up is usually done in early fall. The collection site is located near the brook trout community and water temperature monitoring site for each of the watercourses studied.

Deltaic Wetlands Biomonitoring

Wetland macroinvertebrates, comprising insects, crustaceans, molluscs and worms represent a group of organisms forming a critical food resource for consumer organisms (e.g. fish, birds), that are used widely in environmental monitoring programs to assess both the short-and long-term effects of change associated with water quality or physical habitat conditions on aquatic ecosystem health. Macroinverebrate samples from the Peace-Athabasca Delta have been collected annually since the initial reconnaissance year (2011). In addition, supporting water chemistry samples were collected at each site on the same date.

The richness of benthic macro-invertebrate species is used to monitor the overall health of stream ecosystems in Gwaii Haanas. Any shifts in community composition, initially detected as an increase or decrease in species richness, can be the result of nutrient levels, atmospheric pollutants, or a physical disturbance of the habitat. This is the result of species adapted to the new conditions increasing in abundance and species maladapted to the new conditions decreasing in abundance. Streams are sampled in permanent locations on a 3-year rotational panel monitoring design.

This dataset contains the abundance (per m²) and the biomass (mg dry per m²) of macrofauna (≥ 500µm) in eelgrass and adjacent bare soft sediments, collected at sites in the Atlantic of Nova Scotia from 2009 to 2013. Cite this data as: Wong M.C. Data of Benthic invertebrates in seagrass and bare soft sediments in Atlantic Nova Scotia Published May 2020. Coastal Ecosystems Science Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Dartmouth, N.S.