HR: 1330h
AN: NB33B-07    [Abstracts]
TI: Bioassessment: A Comparison of Results Obtained From Macroinvertebrate and Fish Based Indices
AU: * Fox, J E
EM: jennaf@alum.calberkeley.org
AF: Texas State University - San Marcos, Freeman Aquatic Station Texas State University - San Marcos , San Marcos, TX 78666 United States
AU: Watson, J M
EM: JWatson@txstate.edu
AF: Texas State University - San Marcos, Freeman Aquatic Station Texas State University - San Marcos , San Marcos, TX 78666 United States
AU: McDonald, D L
AF: Texas State University - San Marcos, Freeman Aquatic Station Texas State University - San Marcos , San Marcos, TX 78666 United States
AU: Arsuffi, T L
EM: ta04@txstate.edu
AF: Texas State University - San Marcos, Freeman Aquatic Station Texas State University - San Marcos , San Marcos, TX 78666 United States
AB: Biomonitoring in freshwater ecosystems is currently used for surveillance (i.e. observation of changes in a system) and for determining compliance with regulations. A subset of biomonitoring includes rapid bioassessment. Rapid bioassessment protocols can determine if a stream is supporting or not supporting a designated aquatic life use (ALU). This allows us the flexibility to designate streams as healthy along a continuum. Rapid bioassessment protocols (as follows: RBA refers to the macroinvertebrate index, IBI refers to the fish index), as set down by the EPA, acknowledge that the components of a water system, i.e. periphyton, macroinvertebrates, and fish, all respond differently to stressors. However, macroinvertebrate assemblages are commonly used due to an institutional entrenchment. In this study we examined four sites to determine the ALU utilizing both the IBI and RBA protocols and metrics as adapted to the state of Texas. We found a consistently higher ALU score with the IBI than with the RBA. The general categories for ALU(ie Exceptional, High, Intermediate, and Limited) determined by IBI and RBA only agreed for half of our test sites. These results suggest that the usage of RBA and IBI outcomes should only be used interchangeably with caution.
DE: 1871 Surface water quality
DE: 9902 NABS Student Award Applied Research
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly