Aquatic Field Studies Blog
During our fields studies, we learned how to measure water quality and what factors are important to invertebrate life.
We tested the water quality of 2 local bodies of water – the Coquitlam River and the Oxbow pond. We determined the water quality of the river and the pond by having students take small samples of water from our two study sites. We used scientific methods to determine the pH level, the temperature and amount of nitrates and phosphates. After receiving the results, we used the same data to figure out the water quality index value of the Coquitlam River and the Oxbow pond.
Our next step while doing our field studies was to record what invertebrate and aquatic life we can find in the Coquitlam River and the Oxbow Pond. We used similar methods to find out what types of invertebrates live in the river and pond. Students used nets to catch small critters and bring them back to white tubs filled with water. We recorded and identified what invertebrates or other life we found and released them back into their habitats.
- What was the objective of our field studies?
The objective of our field studies was to determine the water quality of the two sites we were studying: the Coquitlam River and the Oxbow Pond. The water quality of our two study sites can help us determine what types of invertebrates you may find in them.
- How does it connect to our study of the 4 spheres?
Our field studies connect to our study of the 4 spheres because the hydrosphere and biosphere include rivers, ponds and all living things, which can all be located at the Coquitlam River and the Oxbow Pond.
Coquitlam River Site:
- Report your findings for water quality
Dissolved Oxygen: 92% saturation
pH: 6 pH units
Temperature change: 4.5°C
Nitrates: 10 ppm mg/L NO₃
Phosphates: 0.4 mg/L PO₄
Turbidity: 2 NTU
Total Dissolved Salts: 50 mg/L
- What does the water quality index tell us about the health of the river?
Healthy river ecosystems rely on good water quality. The water quality is a way we can measure its ability to support invertebrate and aquatic life. The water quality we measured for the Coquitlam River scored 76.9, which falls under “good” water quality, which means that the Coquitlam River is in good health.
- Report your findings on invertebrate life and other life observed
Invertebrate life we found in the Coquitlam River were stonefly nymph, mayfly nymph, caddisfly larvae, riffle beetle, and dragonfly nymph.
- What does the invertebrate community tell us about the health of the river?
Depending on what kind of invertebrates you find in a body of water, they can tell us if the water quality is excellent, good, average or poor. This is because certain invertebrates require different qualities of water. Because we were able to find stonefly nymphs, mayfly nymphs, caddisfly larvae, riffle beetles, and dragonfly nymphs in the Coquitlam River, which are invertebrates that require good quality water, this tells us that the pond is healthy and has good quality water.
Oxbow Pond Site:
- Report your findings for water quality
Dissolved Oxygen: 90% saturation
pH: 6.5 pH units
Temperature change: 1°C
Nitrates: 10 ppm mg/L NO₃
Phosphates: 5 mg/L PO₄
Turbidity: 8 NTU
Total Dissolved Salts: 100 mg/L
- What does the water quality index tell us about the health of the pond?
Healthy pond ecosystems rely on good water quality. The water quality is a way we can measure its ability to support invertebrate and aquatic life. The water quality we measured for the Oxbow Pond scored 71.3, which falls under “good” water quality, which means that the Oxbow Pond is in good health.
- Report your findings (& that of the class) on invertebrate life and other life observed
Invertebrate life we found in the Oxbow Pond were scud, mayfly nymph, caddisfly larvae, riffle beetle, dragonfly larvae, water mite, gilled snail, watersnipe fly larvae, damselfly larvae, and gastropoda. Other life we found were fish, water boatmen, tadpole, stick bug, dragonfly adult, ladybug adult, chipmunk and other insects on the water’s surface.
- What does the invertebrate community tell us about the health of the pond?
Depending on what kind of invertebrates you find in a body of water, they can tell us if the water quality is excellent, good, average or poor. This is because certain invertebrates require different qualities of water. Because we were able to find mayfly nymphs, caddisfly larvae, riffle beetle, and gilled snail in the Oxbow Pond, which are invertebrates that require good quality water, this tells us that the pond is healthy and has good quality water.
Your water quality test, and the overall water quality index value:
- Comment on the water quality value of the pond and the river
–> what do these values say about the health of the water in the pond? The river?
The water quality value of the Coquitlam River and the Oxbow Pond both scored a “good” water quality index value. This us telling us that the water quality of both the river and the pond are quite healthy with minor amount of impairments. They are both able to support a high diversity of invertebrate and aquatic life.
Comparing the Two Sites:
- How do the water quality & invertebrate life in the river & pond compare?
The water quality of the Oxbow Pond was slightly worse than the Coquitlam River. The pond’s turbidity was much higher than the river’s as well as the amount of total dissolved solids, which doubles the amount for the river. Even though the water quality of the Oxbow Pond is slightly worse than the Coquitlam River, we found way more invertebrate and aquatic life in the Oxbow Pond than we did at the Coquitlam River.
- What might be responsible for similarities / differences?
I believe the reason the river’s temperature was cooler than the pond’s was because it water was constantly flowing, not giving enough time for the sun to warm the water, unlike the pond. I think the reason we found way more invertebrate in the pond than the river was because the warmer temperature of the pond. The warmer temperature was a perfect environment for more abundant plant and algae growth, which could support more invertebrate and aquatic life.
- How do you think water quality is related to the diversity and number of invertebrates found in a water way?
The water quality directly affects what invertebrates can be found there because all invertebrates, and any aquatic life, depend on their environment for basic necessities like their source of food and habitat. Every invertebrate requires different things that determines
Reflection:
- What did you think of these activities? What did you learn? What would make these activities more meaningful?
I enjoyed doing these field studies at the Coquitlam River and the Oxbow Pond. I learned a lot of new things because I had never done field studies before. Taking the samples of water or invertebrates was interesting and allowed me to learn about the Coquitlam River and Oxbow pond. I think being able to take samples from different areas could make these activities more meaningful because we would be able to learn from a wider range of bodies of water.
