Undergraduate students Skyler Meinecke, Christina Carozza, and Logan Kapels are using macroinvertebrates to help assess the health of two streams- Pecan Creek and Dead Man’s Run- which flow through East Campus. Their work is part of a larger construction and restoration project led by Dr. Aaron Mittelstet.
Macroinvertebrates are aquatic bugs or insects without backbones that are visible to the naked eye. Many of these species live in water during their larval stages then emerge from the water later in their life cycles. Despite their small size, macroinvertebrates have a large role in showing the bigger picture of stream health. Macroinvertebrates are important biological indicators for aquatic ecosystems.
When assessing water quality, the students look at how tolerant each species is to pollution. Based on this they then categorize them into three groups: Intolerant, moderately intolerant, and very tolerant. This method provides a clear snapshot of the stream’s current condition and overall health
The team hopes to use their findings to guide future stages of the restoration project and plans to continue monitoring the streams until the work is complete.
