Ecological Evaluation Technical Guidance - State of New Jersey

Appendix B - Sampling Procedures for Benthic Algae and PlanktonAlgaeBenthic algae (periphyton) are primary producers and important foundation of manystream food webs. Periphyton also stabilize substrata and serves as habitat for many otherorganisms. Their characteristics are affected by physical, chemical, and biologicaldisturbances that may occur in the stream reach.Establish the sampling reach. Collect samples using techniques for specific substratetypes.Removable substrates (hard): gravel, pebbles, cobble, and woody debris. – Removerepresentative substrates from the water; brush or scrape a representative area of algaefrom the surface and rinse into a sample jar.Removable substrates (soft): mosses, macroalgae, vascular plants, root masses. –Place a portion of the plant in a sample container with some water. Shake it vigorouslyand rub it gently to remove algae. Remove the plant from sample container.Large substrates (not removable): boulders, bedrock, logs, trees, and roots. - PlacePVC pipe with a neoprene collar at one end on the substrate so that the collar is sealedagainst the substrate. Dislodge algae in the pipe with a toothbrush or scraper. Removealgae from the pipe with pipette.Loose sediments: sand, silt, fine particulate organic matter, clay. – Invert a petri dishover sediments. Trap sediments in the petri dish by inserting a spatula under the dish.Remove sediment from the stream and rinse it into the sampling container. Algal samplesfrom depositional habitats can also be collected with spoons, forceps, or pipette. Placesamples collected from all substrate types into a single watertight, unbreakable, widemouthcontainer. If a single habitat is sampled, collect from several areas. A compositesample measuring four ounces (125 ml) is sufficient. Add preservative, and place a labelwith pertinent information on the outside of the container.Samples should be preserved (Lugol’s solution, 4% buffered formalin, “M3” fixative, or2% glutaraldehyde) and transported on ice and in the dark.ZooplanktonLocate sampling stations as near as possible to those stations selected for chemicalsampling to ensure maximum correlation of findings. These locations will depend uponthe physical nature of the water body. Stations should also be set up on either side of theriver to account for unequal lateral mixing. Slow-moving sections of streams generallycontain more zooplankton than slower-moving segments. If there are any lakes,reservoirs, or backwater areas upstream of sampling stations, notes on their nature andlocation should be included in the sampling log. Sampling stations in lakes, reservoirs,estuaries and the ocean should be located along grid networks or transect lines, aligned toprovide the most representative sampling. Points of interest should include intake anddischarge areas, constrictions within the water body, and major bays and tributaries offthe main basin.Rivers, streams, shallow bays and coastal waters are usually well-mixed so that onlysubsurface sampling is necessary. In lakes and reservoirs, plankton composition andEcological Evaluation Technical Guidance Document 104Version 1.2 8/29/12