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COMPARISON OF RANDOM SITE SELECTION AT MULTIPLE INTENSITIES FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF THE OHIO RIVER FISH COMMUNITY
Citation:
EMERY, E., K. A. BLOCKSOM, T. OLSEN, AND F. BORSUK. COMPARISON OF RANDOM SITE SELECTION AT MULTIPLE INTENSITIES FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF THE OHIO RIVER FISH COMMUNITY. Presented at 2005 EPA Science Forum, Washington, DC, May 16 - 18, 2005.
Impact/Purpose:
The goal of this research is to develop methods and indicators that are useful for evaluating the condition of aquatic communities, for assessing the restoration of aquatic communities in response to mitigation and best management practices, and for determining the exposure of aquatic communities to different classes of stressors (i.e., pesticides, sedimentation, habitat alteration).
Description:
The Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) is a compact of eight states representing interests in the Ohio River basin that has been instrumental in the development of biological monitoring of the Ohio River. In the past, ORSANCO has conducted intensive surveys by sampling every few miles along the Ohio River to estimate the condition of biological resources. These surveys were time-consuming and possibly represented an excessive effort in order to estimate condition. This study investigated the applicability of a random site selection approach as a means of assessing the structure, quality, attributes, and health of the fish assemblage in the Ohio River mainstem. A random site selection approach allows for assessment of conditions with known confidence while also reducing sampling effort. Randomized site selection was provided by the ORD-NHEERL, fish sampling was conducted by ORSANCO, and the ORD-NERL was responsible for analyzing data. However, work with U.S. EPA Region 3 was instrumental in recognizing the need for the study and providing Regionally Applied Research Effort (RARE) funding for the work. As a testament to the importance of this collaboration, in the future, ORSANCO will be using random site selection for conducting biological assessments to make the most efficient use of its resources.