Our department sponsored an Aquatic Invertebrate Biomonitoring Workshop in April of 1999. This workshop taught a methodology for sampling to determine the health of the wetland. The theory behind the sampling is that in a healthy wetland, more species sensitive to human impact will be present and inversely wetlands severely impacted by human activities and pollution have fewer sensitive species and more tolerant ones. We are hoping to use this sampling method to determine the health of watersheds on tribal land particularly the Squibnocket and Menemsha pond watersheds. The analysis of these samples could reveal areas of concern within the
watersheds. This method will also be used in future years to monitor the health of the watersheds over time.
Many members of local organizations participated in the workshop including individuals from the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, M.V. Land Bank, Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, and the Vineyard Conservation Society. In addition, a member of the Narraganset Tribe’s Natural Resource Department was also able to participate in the training. The workshop was facilitated by Anna Hicks of the University of Massachusetts Extension Service Amherst Office. Anna is the developer and author of the sampling methodology and provided a very interesting and informative workshop.
On November 9, 1999 EPA approved a Quality Assurance Quality Control Plan for the Macroinvertebrate Biomonitoring of Black Brook and Occooch Watersheds in the Town of Aquinnah, Massachusetts. This QAQC was developed by this department and will be used for monitoring the wetlands this coming season. This document is available to download from this web site
31 pages/1.1MB: to download with a 56K modem takes approximately 3-4 minutes
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