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SFS Annual Meeting

Monday, May 21, 2018
09:00 - 10:30

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09:00 - 09:15: / 410 A THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SEDIMENT BIOMONITORING INDEX FOR SOUTH AFRICA RIVERS, USING THE TRAIT-BASED APPROACH

5/21/2018  |   09:00 - 09:15   |  410 A

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SEDIMENT BIOMONITORING INDEX FOR SOUTH AFRICA RIVERS, USING THE TRAIT-BASED APPROACH Sedimentation of rivers is a major concern in South Africa, yet there is no sediment-specific tool for monitoring the effect of sediment stress on riverine ecosystems. Using a novel trait-based approach (TBA), we developed a macroinvertebrate-based sediment biomonitoring index (SBI). South African macroinvertebrates were classified into four vulnerability classes in relation to the potential effects of sediments in riverine ecosystems as well as the trait attributes possessed by each macroinvertebrate family. Twenty-five macroinvertebrate families were designated highly vulnerable and 22 designated as vulnerable to sediment stress. Twenty-seven families were designated as resilient to or tolerant of sediment impact, while only 18 families were described as being highly resilient to or tolerant of sediment influences in the riverine ecosystems. The index was then tested in the Tsitsa River and its tributaries – rivers that are primarily sediment influenced in South Africa. The index proved responsive and indicated that the rivers ranged between being minimally sedimented and moderately sedimented. The index has potential as a stressor-specific biomonitoring tool in South Africa. We developed an automated spreadsheet to allow for the easy use, and application of the SBI in South Africa

Oghenekaro Nelson Odume (Primary Presenter/Author), Rhodes University, South Africa, odume.nelson@gmail.com;


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09:15 - 09:30: / 410 A APPLICATION OF BIOTIC METRICS IN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM: IMPLICATIONS TO RIVER HEALTH ASSESSMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN WESTERN NEPAL

5/21/2018  |   09:15 - 09:30   |  410 A

APPLICATION OF BIOTIC METRICS IN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM: IMPLICATIONS TO RIVER HEALTH ASSESSMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN WESTERN NEPAL Sustainable water resource management has become a key challenge in this 21st century. Ever-going demands of water supplies for domestic consumption, irrigation and energy have stressed river ecosystems immensely than ever before worldwide. In Neal, amongst others, mountain headwaters are highly threatened due to constructions of multiple irrigation channels along their water courses. Many of the springs and streams have been dried before they get confluence to main river channel. The consequences might be enormous for mobility of aquatic organisms and overall biodiversity. However, study on impacts of irrigational water abstraction in river ecosystems and biodiversity are largely lacking. This study aims to (i) assess the impact of altered flow regimes on benthic macroinvertebrates communities downstream of water diversion and (ii) identify sensitive biotic metrics for assessing the impact of altered flow regimes. Over 1100 benthic macroinvertebrates samples were collected from middle mountain rivers in Mahakali and Karnali river basins of western Nepal during post-monsoon, baseflow and pre-monsoon seasons in the years 2016 and 2017. Multiple water diversion projects in a single river have worsened river health, which is very well reflected in the altered benthic macroinvertebrates’ abundance and composition.

Ram Devi Tachamo Shah (Primary Presenter/Author), Kathmandu University, ramdevi.env@gmail.com;


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09:30 - 09:45: / 410 A DOES LIGHT TRAPPING FOR ADULT TRICHOPTERA IMPROVE BIOASSESSMENT OF STREAM HEALTH IN APPALACHIAN RIVER SYSTEMS?

5/21/2018  |   09:30 - 09:45   |  410 A

DOES LIGHT TRAPPING FOR ADULT TRICHOPTERA IMPROVE BIOASSESSMENT OF STREAM HEALTH IN APPALACHIAN RIVER SYSTEMS? Biomonitoring with macroinvertebrates has become a cost-effective, rapid method for assessing both short- and long-term stream health. While the methods are fairly well-established and standardized, there is still room for improvement. For example, aerial adult males of most Trichoptera species can be readily identified, but benthic larvae of less than 50% of southeastern US Trichoptera species can be identified. Also, sampling benthic macroinvertebrates in large rivers is especially challenging. One method of collecting Trichoptera that has been suggested for biomonitoring and has been used in some situations (usually larger rivers) is light trapping. No studies, however, have incorporated both multi-habitat benthic sampling and light trapping as a combined protocol. Therefore, in this research, benthic sampling was conducted quarterly in January, March, July, and November 2017, and light trapping monthly from April through October in 2017. Comparisons among four sampling sites and between the two methods were examined using biotic indices and processing time differences.

Coleson Wrege (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Minnesota, cwrege@umn.edu;


John C. Morse (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Clemson University, jmorse@clemson.edu;


Michael Caterino (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Clemson University, mcateri@clemson.edu;


Peter Adler (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Clemson University, padler@clemson.edu;


Patrick Gerard (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Clemson University, pgerard@clemson.edu;


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09:45 - 10:00: / 410 A SILTATION AND STREAM MACROINVERTEBRATES: FROM THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRESSOR-SPECIFIC BIOMONITORING TOOLS

5/21/2018  |   09:45 - 10:00   |  410 A

SILTATION AND STREAM MACROINVERTEBRATES: FROM THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRESSOR-SPECIFIC BIOMONITORING TOOLS Siltation (i.e. the unnatural accumulation of fine sediment) is now recognized as one of the most diffuse impacts in lotic ecosystems, due to the intensification of hydro-morphological (i.e. dams, water abstraction) and land-use (i.e. deforestation, agriculture, urbanization) alterations at local and watershed scale. We present here an overview of our studies dealing with the response of benthic invertebrate communities to allochthonous fine sediment in Alpine streams (Northwestern Italy). Combining results from a manipulative experiment with controlled conditions and two field studies, we first evaluated the main effects of fine sediment on macroinvertebrate communities in terms of composition and structure. Then, the resulting most sensitive metrics were statistically aggregated into a multi-metric and stressor-specific index, which encompassed a mix of taxonomical and functional metrics. Finally, an independent case study on the sedimentation from a reservoir was used to validate this new-developed index and compare its performance with other routinely applied indexes. Findings of these works provide useful tools for biomonitoring the effects of man-induced siltation in streams and contribute to improve the diagnostic ability concerning stressor-specific alterations.

Alberto Doretto (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Torino (Italy), alberto.doretto@unito.it;


Francesca Bona (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Turin (Italy), francesca.bona@unito.it;


Elena Piano (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Piemonte Orientale (Italy), elena.piano@uniupo.it;


Elisa Falasco (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Turin (Italy), elisa.falasco@unito.it;


Stefano Fenoglio (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Piemonte Orientale (Italy), stefano.fenoglio@uniupo.it;


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10:00 - 10:15: / 410 A URBAN BIOASSESSMENTS INDICATE INCREASED BENTHIC TOLERANCE

5/21/2018  |   10:00 - 10:15   |  410 A

URBAN BIOASSESSMENTS INDICATE INCREASED BENTHIC TOLERANCE Benthic macroinvertebrate tolerance values (TVs) are used to develop metrics for Benthic Indices of Biotic Integrity (B-IBIs), determine indicator taxa, or are aggregated to assess the overall tolerance of an assemblage based upon the relative abundance of individual taxa (Eg. HBI). These applications are particularly useful for regulatory agencies as surrogates for water quality if they are either incrementally correlated with the level of stress and/or have a threshold response (extirpation) when the amount of stress reaches some quantifiable level. However, few regulatory programs intensively monitor urban streams or have large numbers of sampling locations with elevated levels of anthropogenic stress. Benthic macroinvertebrate data from highly-urbanized Fairfax County, VA (2004-2016) were used to develop cumulative frequency distributions (CFDs) and generalized additive models (GAMs) for 74 genera and 57 families in response to urbanization (impervious area). The 95% and 75% percentile for both CFDs and GAMs were used in a novel approach to derive ‘urban’ tolerance values (TVs) for Mid-Atlantic Piedmont streams. The derived tolerances were compared to those used by regulatory agencies for Virginia & Maryland’s Piedmont physiographic provinces along with the Chesapeake Bay (Chessie B-IBI).

Chris Ruck (Primary Presenter/Author), Fairfax County (VA), Watershed Assessment Branch, christopher.ruck@fairfaxcounty.gov;


Jonathan Witt (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Fairfax County Division of Stormwater Planning, jonathan.witt@fairfaxcounty.gov;


LeAnne Astin (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Fairfax County Stormwater Planning, leanne.astin@fairfaxcounty.gov;


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10:15 - 10:30: / 410 A HIGH THROUGHPUT SEQUENCING FOR THE STUDY OF MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION OF BEACHES IN THE HURON TO ERIE CORRIDOR: INVESTIGATING DYNAMICS AND POTENTIAL SOURCES

5/21/2018  |   10:15 - 10:30   |  410 A

HIGH THROUGHPUT SEQUENCING FOR THE STUDY OF MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION OF BEACHES IN THE HURON TO ERIE CORRIDOR: INVESTIGATING DYNAMICS AND POTENTIAL SOURCES Background: Belle Isle Beach (Detroit) and Sand Point Beach (Windsor) are on either side of the international border, 5 km apart near the Lake St. Clair origin of the Detroit River. Monitoring their microbial levels may be important for managing health risks. Both beaches are affected by Lake St. Clair but differential hydrology and corresponding microbial sources may be different. Methods: We conducted 4-day/week E.coli IDEXX enumeration at both beaches and also filtered water (0.2 um) for Ion Torrent sequencing of ambient bacteria rRNA gene barcodes. Results: While mostly “clean,” three “events” possibly associated with weather yielded high counts simultaneously at both beaches; near-shore counts were higher than waist-deep. Bacterial richness was low in June, becoming more complex with different bacterial communities in July and August than in June. Bacterial communities were distinctly different between the two beaches. Pathogen-related genera were present sporadically, but further analysis is needed to determine if these are pathogenic strains. Conclusion: The beaches are mostly healthy but must be monitored because high-risk events and possible pathogens occur. Further analysis will help define monitoring needs for the future.

Jeffrey Ram (Primary Presenter/Author), Department of Physiology, Wayne State University, jeffram@wayne.edu;


Subba Rao Chaganti (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, chaganti@uwindsor.ca;


Claire Plouff (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Wayne State University and the Belle Isle Aquarium Laboratory, claire.plouff@wayne.edu;


Abdolrazagh Hashemi Shahraki (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, Windsor, ONT, razagh@uwindsor.ca;


Mohammad Madani (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, madanim@uwindsor.ca;


Adrian Vasquez (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Detroit Mercy, avasquez@wayne.edu;


Rajesh Seth (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Windsor, rseth@uwindsor.ca;


Daniel Heath (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Windsor, Biological Sciences, dheath@uwindsor.ca;


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