User:Jackaloping/Aquatic biomonitoring

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Purpose
- "Aquatic biomonitoring is an important tool for assessing aquatic life forms and their ecosystems. Monitoring aquatic life can also be beneficial in understanding land ecosystems.

Aquatic biomonitoring can reveal the overall health and status of the environment, can detect environmental trends and how different stressors will affect those trends, and can be used to evaluate the effects that various environmental activities may have on the overall health of the environment. Water pollution and general stresses to aquatic life have a major impact on the environment. The main sources of pollution to oceans, rivers, and lakes are human caused events or activities, such as sewage, oil spills, surface runoff, littering, ocean mining, and nuclear waste. Rapid changes to an environment, like, pollution, can alter ecosystems and community assemblages, and endanger species that live in or close to water. Many aquatic species also serve as food sources for terrestrial species. Thus, aquatic ecosystems are interconnected with their adjacent terrestrial ecosystem."

Change to:

Aquatic biomonitoring is an important tool for assessing aquatic life forms and their habitats. It can reveal the overall health and status of the ecosystem, detect environmental trends and the impacts of different stressors, and can be used to evaluate the effect that various human activities have on the overall health of aquatic environments.

[Water pollution and general stresses to aquatic life also have a major impact on the environment as a whole. reword?] The main sources of pollution to oceans, rivers, and lakes are human caused events or activities, such as sewage, oil spills, littering, ocean mining, and nuclear waste.[SOURCE]

Monitoring aquatic life can also be beneficial in monitoring and understanding adjacent land ecosystems. Rapid changes to an environment, like, pollution, can alter ecosystems and community assemblages, and endanger species that live in or close to water. Many aquatic species serve as food sources for terrestrial species, which are therefore impacted by the size and health of aquatic populations.

Indicator organisms
- Aquatic invertebrates

- Macroscopic organisms: frogs, fish -

- Algae - Algae can be used as a primary indicator of changes in environment, particularly on a short timescale, as their short lifespan makes them very reactive. Many species of algae (including Cyanobacteria, though not technically an algae ) respond positively to increased concentrations of Phosphorus in the water column, making algal blooms an indicator.

Common methods
"A biomonitoring assessment typically requires two or more sets of data . First, a baseline dataset that, ideally, defines the environment in its natural state, or default state. This is used to compare with any datasets that follow." -> A biomonitoring assessment requires a baseline dataset which, ideally, defines the environment in its natural or default state. This is then used for comparison against any subsequent measurements, in order to assess potential alterations or trends.

In some cases, these datasets are used to create standardised tools for assessing water quality via biomonitoring data, such as the Specific Pollution Index (SPI) and South African Diatom Index (SADI).

Common tools of ecological and biological assessments
"Bioassays. Test organisms are exposed to an environment and their response is measured. Typical organisms used in bioassays are certain species of plants, bacteria, fish, water fleas (Daphnia), and frogs." -> Test organisms within a controlled environment are exposed to specific variations in a variable, and their response is measured.

Water temperature
- "Water temperature is directly affected by climate change and can have negative affects on many aquatic species, such as salmon. " -> needs explanation on how salmon are affected. Salmon spawning is temperature dependant: there is a heat accumulation threshold which must be reached before hatching can occur. Post-hatching, salmon live in water within a critical range in temperature, with exposure to temperatures outside of this being potentially lethal. This sensitivity makes them useful indicators of changes in water temperature. Similarly, Daphnia populations have been evidenced as being negatively affected by climate change, as earlier springs have caused hatching periods to de-couple from the peak window of food availability.

- Water temperature & Climate change - elaborate on how: increased ambient temperatures input more heat into water bodies, raising temperature. Also, impact of increased evaporation and reduced precipitation. Changes in lake characteristics - potential for altered stratification -> would impact benthic organisms the most?

Change in community make up due to water temp change - cyanobacteria able to tolerate water several degrees warmer than most eukaryotic algae

Community make-up
- Needs citations on difference between species in undisturbed vs disturbed streams

- Examples of standard community make-up in other continents/biomes?

Local geology
"Surface water can be affected by sub-surface influences stemming from local geology. An example of this influence is the infiltration of heavy metals, such as Manganese."

change to

Surface water can be affected by local geology, as minerals leached from sub-surface rocks can enter surface water bodies and influence water chemistry. Examples of this are the Werii River (Tigray, Ethiopia), where elevated concentrations of heavy metals have been linked to the underlying slate, and drinking wells in Indigenous communities near Anchorage, Alaska, where high concentrations of arsenic have been linked to the underlying McHugh Complex rock formation.

Limitations <- new section
As with all methods of scientific study, there are limitations and drawbacks to aquatic biomonitoring.


 * Time - As a with all field methods, the sampling required for aquatic biomonitoring can be time consuming and labour intensive, leading many monitoring groups to rely on volunteers to assist with sample collection.


 * Limited sample - As with all sampling-based methods, it is impossible to measure the entire population, and conclusions are instead drawn from a sample. As such, it is important to follow proper [scientific practice] in order to reduce the chance of this sample being biased


 * Reliance on accurate species identification - When using visual identification in the field, there is the potential for species to be misidentified, which could lead to incorrect analysis and conclusions. To reduce the likelihood of such errors, many monitoring organisations utilise laboratory verification of sample specimens for quality control purposes.
 * Lack of precise definitions - no standardised system for selection of indicator species, could be remedied by having clear selection criteria
 * Species specific - It can be difficult to draw comparisons between results unless the same indicator organism has been used in each study, as every species has an individual niche and associated ideal conditions. Even similar species (as defined by either taxonomy or niche) may have different reactions and different thresholds for change.
 * External influences - Changes in population size or health caused by external factors may be incorrectly interpreted as resulting from changes in the environment. For example, a reduction in population that occurs due to disease, but coincides with a change in environmental conditions, could be misconstrued as resulting from the latter change.
 * Misleading results - Survival of species usually regarded as 'sensitive' can lead to the conclusion that there has been little change or contamination of an environment, which may be incorrect. An example of this is amphibians, which have traditionally been considered a highly sensitive class in regards to environmental changes, however, some research indicates that this may only be true for phenols, with amphibians having similar sensitivity to other contaminants (e.g. heavy metals) as other aquatic taxonomic groups, such as bivalves.

Photos
Photo 1 - "Champagne, France. A farming and agriculture can greatly affect nearby by water sources, both fresh and marine." Fix grammar -> Champagne, France. Farming and agriculture can greatly affect nearby water sources, both fresh and marine."