Streams and rivers are some of the most biodiverse freshwater ecosystems, and yet they face many threats. They are often subjected to various forms of pollution, habitat degradation and resource exploitation. This study aims to use macroinvertebrates as an indicator of ecological and water quality at various sites along a single creek (Salem Creek) in Winston Salem, North Carolina. We predicted that as the stream approached the urban area, we would observe a reduction in macroinvertebrate diversity and abundance. We collected samples at 5 locations along the creek spanning the entire 9+ miles of the creekâs length and used sampling locations that were approximately 2 miles apart. We used two sampling methods at each site. We used a kick net and a standard aquatic net to sample macroinvertebrates. Additionally, we took temperature and pH measures at each section of the stream at the time of sampling. Following field collection, we separated the macroinvertebrates from any debris, preserved them in 70% ethanol and later identified them to order/sub-order. If we observe that the diversity of the macroinvertebrates decreased the farther downstream, it would indicate that pollutants may be entering the water at multiple points thus lowering the quality of the water. We have also collected water samples to share with collaborators in Chemistry and Biology to measure chemical compounds and bacterial strains present at these sites.
Results/Conclusions
We plan on utilizing these same sampling methods to test the quality of additional waterways throughout Winston Salem. After we analyzed the types and number of species collected at each site, we concluded that, 4 out of the 5 sites were fair in quality. However, one site was not, and we plan to further investigate the reason why.