MONITORING AND SURVEYS
Monitoring is a key component of conservation work. By regularly evaluating the kinds of species and abundance of populations we can determine whether restoration work has been successful and how to best guide our future conservation efforts. At Ontario Streams, we use many different monitoring techniques including:
- Electrofishing
- Ontario Benthic Biomonitoring Network studies
- Ontario Stream Assessment Protocol
- Water quality testing
ELECTROFISHING
Electrofishing is a method of temporarily stunning fish with the use of electricity to quickly survey the species present in a study area and provides a representative evaluation of the abundance of each species. Ontario Streams staff are certified for electrofishing and conduct surveys throughout the Greater Toronto Area every year. These studies allow us to track the presence/absence of species and compare this data to historical ranges of fishes. We can use this knowledge to target specific habitats for restoration work if trends show decreases in population or presence of certain bio-indicator species.
BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATE SURVEYS
Benthic macroinvertebrates are the aquatic insects that live at the bottom of river. The presence and absence of different species of benthic macroinvertebrates can be an indicator for the water quality of a habitat. Insects such as mayflies and stoneflies rely on very clean and clear water and can only be found in ecosystems with high water quality. On the other hand, leaches and midge larvae are very tolerant and can live in areas with poor water quality. At Ontario Streams, we monitor benthic macroinvertebrate populations at various sites across the Greater Toronto Area every year to build databases to track water quality.