Bio-Assessment of Local Water System (HS)

Aquatic macroinvertebrates include insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and worms that are found in streams, sloughs and lakes. Researchers have found that certain types of macroinvertebrates are sensitive to pollution, others are tolerant, and others are somewhere in between. Researchers can easily get a fairly accurate measure of the general quality of the water in a freshwater habitat (stream, slough or lake) by sampling the macroinvertebrates in a body of water and tallying up the different types of macroinvertebrates found. This quick, relatively painless exercise will give you a feel for this type of very impactful type of research.