Aquatic Biology

The Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 calls for the restoration and maintenance of the biological integrity of the nation’s water resources. In years past, this integrity was mainly determined with non-biological parameters such as chemical and physical water quality. While these parameters are still in use today, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 has elevated the need for biological sampling of our waters. Biological parameters (biomonitoring) are now an important part of determining stream health.

Our team is fully equipped with boat and backpack electrofishers, and has had extensive experience with the collection and handling of threatened and endangered fishes. Ecological Solutions, Inc. currently possesses both a State of Georgia Scientific Collecting Permit (TE070800-0) and a Federal Fish and Wildlife Permit (29-WSF-05-76) .

Aquatic Services:

• Watershed assessments
  • Fish community surveys
  • Benthic (1) (macro invertebrate) surveys
  • Calculation of Indices of Biotic Integrity ( IBI) and Indices of Well Being (IWB) (2)
  • Water Quality: turbidity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, and conductivity
    
• Protected species surveys
  • Non-lethal detection of threatened and endangered fishes
  • Mussel surveys (3)
    
• Habitat aswssessments
  
• Water Quality metrics
  • Turbidity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, conductivity, BOD 5, COD, TSS, Phosphorous, Nitrogen (TKN, ammonia, NO 2/NO 3), total and dissolved metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd), hardness, fecal coliform, E-coli

Benthic macro invertebrate surveys are conducted using the protocols outlined in SOP Number FLD (GERS) 001 “Macro invertebrate Collection in wadeable streams: Aquatic Dip Net – 20 Jab Method (Modified to GAEPD Multihabitat Method – strict assignment approach) Revised October 3, 2000.

IBI ’s an IWB’s are calculated following the protocol described in the “Standard Operating Procedures for Conducting Biomonitoring on Fish Communities in Wadeable Streams in Georgia” issued by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division Fisheries Section, June 1, 2005.

Mussel surveys are conducted using the protocols as described in “Freshwater Mussel Survey Protocol for the Southeastern Atlantic Slope and Northeastern Gulf Drainages in Florida and Georgia” issued by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services and Fisheries Resources Offices and the Georgia Department of Transportation, Office of Environment and Location, Draft – May 2003.