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How to Use Stream Algae
for Bioassessment
Betty Fetscher, Biology Dept. 2012 Symposium
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Goals of Session
California is moving forward with incorporating
algae into monitoring programs… What’s involved?
• Walk through steps of stream bioassessment using
algae
• Introduce users to tools that are available, or under
development, to support algae-based
bioassessment
• Foster an open forum for discussion about the process
and tools
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Session Outline
• Field sampling of stream algae
• Laboratory analyses
• Data processing, analysis, &
interpretation
• User-support resources
Why add Algae to the
State’s Bioassessment Toolkit?
• Weight of evidence
• Provides complementary information to
bugs in terms of different
• stressors
• time frames
• ranges of response
Applications of Algae Data
Taxonomic
composition
(“quality”)
Biomass (“quantity”)
– algal cover
– chlorophyll a
– ash-free dry mass
– algal biovolume
algal nuisance/eutrophication
ambient assessment
compliance monitoring
NNE framework
stream condition/water quality
ambient assessment
compliance monitoring
bio-objectives
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How do we sample
stream algae for
community composition
and biomass?
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SWAMP
Algae
Field SOP
June 2009
(updated
May 2010)
SWAMP Algae Sampling Protocol
• Designed to fit well
into existing field
bioassessment
practices (bugs,
PHab)
• Modular
construction
sccwrp.org
Technical Report #602
diatoms
soft-bodied algae
(& cyanobacteria)
We Look at two Algal Assemblages
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Reachwide Benthos Sampling • as with bugs… multiple habitat types, as opposed to
targeted substrata (cobbles)
• diatoms and soft algae are co-collected within a
single sampling effort
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Algae Sampling Co-occurs with Bug Sampling
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Sampling Devices
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Sampling Devices
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4) chlorophyll a
5) ash-free dry mass
1) diatom 2) soft
taxonomic IDs,
3) biovolume
Collection of Algae Samples
…e.g., cobbles
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Preparation of Biomass Samples
for Storage • Filter measured
amount on glass-
fiber filter
• Same procedure
for chlorophyll a &
ash-free dry mass
• Store frozen
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Planning Algae Field Sampling
• Get crews trained: State Board Training Academy
has been offering several each summer (J.
Harrington)
• Full SWAMP bioassessment protocol can be
carried out by crews of 3-5
• Construct sampling devices (syringe plus supplies
that can be purchased at Home Depot; instructions
in SOP)
• Train crews for safe handling of fixatives
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What happens
to the algae samples?:
Summary of
laboratory processing
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Diatom Sample Processing
for Taxonomic ID
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10 µm
20 µm
Soft-bodied Algae Come in a
Variety of Shapes/Sizes…
same scale!
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Soft-algae Sample
Processing
for Taxonomic ID
• Separate analysis of
microalgae and
macroalgae
• Determine absolute
biovolumes of taxa
present in both
fractions
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Quantitative Analysis
of Algal Biomass
chlorophyll a
ash-free dry mass
concentration results
are interpreted in light
of “composite volume”
and area of stream
bottom sampled
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• Holding times apply (next slide)
• Set up contract laboratories (see handout for
some possibilities)
• Have contractors use California Master Taxa
Lists for diatoms and soft-algae (see
handout)
• May want to have soft-algae taxonomy lab
add the fixative (notify them in advance)
Planning Algae Lab Analyses
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Cost-effective field method
for assessing algal
abundance in streams
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stream flow
wetted w
idth
Point-intercept Estimation
of Algal Cover
• record presence/absence of algae at each of
105 objectively determined points
• piggybacks on existing PHab protocol for bugs
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Examples of Percent Cover Results
50%
15%
chlo
rop
hyll
a (m
g/m
2)
macroalgal % cover
Utility of Macroalgal % Cover Data
tau = 0.9
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Addressing the Need for
Algae Taxonomic Resources for California
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• Taxonomic keys
• 100s of taxa
represented
• Focus on So Cal
flora
Taxonomy
Websites
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Multiple navigation routes
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Species pages contain
• photo(s)
• detailed description
• So Cal geog. distribution
• selected environmental
variables
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Analogous
format for soft-
bodied algae http://dbmuseblade.colorado.edu/Di
atomTwo/sbsac_site/index.php
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Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI)
• Measures aspects of a biological community to yield an
indication of water quality and/or ecological condition
• Comprised of set of “metrics” combined to form index
• Bugs, algae, amphibians, plants, fish…
1. proportion sedimentation tolerant (incl. highly
motile)
2. proportion low-nitrogen indicators (incl. N fixers)
3. proportion halobiontic
4. proportion nitrogen heterotrophs
5. proportion requiring > 50% saturation DO
6. proportion of organic-associated spp
7. proportion of copper-associated spp
8. proportion of low-phosphorus-associated spp
Component Metrics:
Draft Algae IBI for So Cal
R2 = 0.51 , p < 0.0001
IBI sc
ore
Draft IBI – Validation Data (So Cal)
BMI
algae
SMC
Demonstration
Project:
Integrating
Bioassessment
Results from
Different
Assemblages
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Calculating Algae Metrics/IBIs
• Raw data processed to generate raw metrics
• Raw metrics standardized by rescaling from 0-10
• Scaled metrics summed into IBI
• Statistical boundaries are available for
comparison of test site score with distribution of
IBI scores realized in reference sites
Algae Data Reporting Module
under development
will calculate algal biomass levels
and species-based metrics and IBIs
desired dataset is selected for reporting of results
desired results exported to spreadsheet
Summary of Resources
for Analysis of Algae Data • Online taxonomic ID resources
• Master taxa lists for diatoms and soft
algae
• Taxon-specific indicator values for
calculating metrics
• Metric & IBI calculation information
– currently in the form of spreadsheets
– will eventually be available via automated
reporting modules
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California’s
“Algae Plan”
March 2008
Background Information on Algae in Bioassessment
sccwrp.org
Technical
Report # 563
• Recommendations
for application of
various algae-
based indicators
• Includes literature
review/interview
responses re: algae
monitoring practices
all over world
