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A project assessing Bear Creek's water quality through macroinvertebrate collection and analysis.
Conservation Science Initiative
Bear Creek Macroinvertebrate Project
Macroinvertebrates (aquatic insects, snails and other water animals without backbones) live all or a significant portion of their lives in water. Because different species have differing abilities to tolerate pollution, ecologists long have analyzed which macroinvertebrates are found in any given body of water to determine the quality of that water.
The National Center is directing an effort to collect and analyze macroinvertebrates from 30 sites in the Bear Creek Watershed twice a year – in the fall and spring. The monitoring sites were strategically placed throughout Bear Creek and its tributaries to help isolate and identify areas of high quality (so they can be protected) and poor quality (so problems can be remedied).
An exciting social aspect of this project is the fact that most of the field and lab work is accomplished under the supervision of staff biologists with the assistance of Volunteer Research Interns recruited from local high schools and Southern Oregon University Workstudy Program Assistants. If you or someone you know is interested in helping with this project, please let us know. We’d love to have your help in monitoring the quality of water in the Bear Creek Watershed.
SOU Work Study Program Assistant Photo by Shannon Bigham.
