HR: 1330h
AN: NB33T-02    [Abstracts]
TI: Use of Benthic Macroinvertebrates to Evaluate Stream Water Quality in Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies
AU: * Maharaj, L D
EM: ldmaharaj@hotmail.com
AF: Department of Life Sciences, The University of The West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies, N/A Trinidad and Tobago
AU: Alkins-Koo, M
EM: malkinskoo@hotmail.com
AF: Department of Life Sciences, The University of The West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies, N/A Trinidad and Tobago
AB: In order to determine the best method of using benthic macroinvertebrates to monitor water quality in Trinidad and Tobago, 63 sites along 38 streams were sampled in each of the wet and dry seasons from 1999-2001. At each site, 5 benthic samples were collected with a 300μm 'D' frame kicknet, along with data for 14 environmental parameters and habitat data. Principal Components Analyses separated the streams into 3 ecoregions based on substrate type and discharge. Using ANOVA, mean values for each environmental parameter were compared across each ecoregion. Values of dissolved Oxygen, BOD-5, nitrates, total suspended solids and pH varied significantly during the wet season, while dissolved Oxygen, pH and chlorophyll-a varied significantly during the dry. Using PRIMER version 5, non-metric multi-dimensional scaling and cluster analyses were performed on the faunal data for each ecoregion separately and for all sites combined. These analyses indicate that the fauna associated with minimally, moderately and severely impaired sites is similar across all 3 ecoregions. Of the different metrics compared during the study, a modified version of the Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT) best fit the clusters were produced.
DE: 1871 Surface water quality
SC: North American Benthological Society [NB]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly