ATW 2010 Short Course

Title: Introduction to Benthic-invertebrate Biomonitoring

Instructors: F. Chris Jones, Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Sarah Sinclair, Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority

Course Description:  This full-day course has two components; the first is an introduction to biomonitoring and benthic-invertebrates, and the second is a workshop on benthic-invertebrate identification.  The first component is an introduction to biomonitoring which will discuss topics such as: monitoring and water management; rationale for biomonitoring; complementarity of stressor- and effect-based monitoring; introduction to benthic invertebrates; and, benthic-invertebrates as indicators of ecosystem condition.  Biomonitoring study designs and biocriteria will also be discussed including: variability in benthic-invertebrate-community composition; Green’s study designs; the Reference Condition Approach; and, examples of biocritieria projects in Ontario.  The second component of the course is hands-on and will instruct participants on how to identify major groups of benthic invertebrates.  This component will include the visual description of diagnostic characters for commonly-encountered benthic-invertebrate groups; a demonstration using preserved specimens that show the range of morphological features within each group; and, attendees will be given the opportunity to practice identifying “mystery vials” and/or their own specimens.  Participants are welcome to bring their own microscopes and/or specimens.

Instructor biographies :
Chris Jones works at the Dorset Environmental Science Centre as the Ontario Ministry of the Environment’s benthic-invertebrate-biomonitoring specialist.  His research is aimed at improving biomonitoring methods, especially for streams; current studies seek to understand reference conditions for streams, the relative importance of different sources of variation in benthic-invertebrate counts, and the influence of taxonomic resolution on bioassessment outcomes.  In addition to his scientific work, Chris also coordinates Ontario’s Benthos Biomonitoring Network, which is a province-wide, lake-, stream-, and wetand-biomonitoring collaboration.

Sarah Sinclair is a benthic-invertebrate-biomonitoring technician, employed by the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority.  She has been posted at the Dorset Environmental Science Centre for the past 3 years, where she helps coordinate Ontario’s Benthos Biomonitoring Network (OBBN).  Sarah is certified as a benthic-invertebrate taxonomist by the North American Benthological Society.  As such, she leads a quality-assurance programs for the OBBN, by quality-checking taxonomic identifications and enumerations for reference-site samples submitted by Network members.

Time: Sunday October 3, 2010, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm (lunch and morning break refreshments provided)

Location: Convention level (lower lobby), Toronto Marriott Eaton Centre, Room TBA

Cost:     $175 ($100 for students)