LCFRP Monitoring Parameters

Water Quality Sampling Parameters

Physical
Temperature, Salinity, Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Turbidity, Conductivity, Light Attenuation

Chemical
Nitrate-Nitrite, Ammonium, Total Nitrogen, Orthophosphate, Total Phosphorus, Total Kjedahl Nitrogen, Silica

Biological
Chlorophyll a, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Fecal Coliform Bacteria, Benthic Chlorophyll, Phytoplankton, Zooplankton, Benthic Fauna, Resident Fish, Anadromodous Fish

Physical Parameters
(measurements are taken at surface, middle, and bottom at stations sampled by boat)

Water Temperature: Indicator of thermal stratification of water column. High water temperatures (35° C+) can be harmful to aquatic life.

Salinity: Indicator of vertical stratification; provides information on freshwater runoff and upstream tidal penetration of seawater.

Conductivity: Salinity is calculated from conductivity. The more dissolved compounds in water, the greater the conductivity.

Dissolved Oxygen (DO): Aquatic organisms require dissolved oxygen in the water column to survive (respiration requires oxygen). North Carolina freshwater and tidal saltwater standard is 5 milligrams per liter (ppm). Levels of DO less than 5ppm are dangerous to fish health.

pH: Typical freshwater pH may range from 6.0-9.0, brackish and saltwater 7.5-8.5, and swamp water may be naturally low ranging 3-5. High pH in freshwaters may indicate high algal productivity.

Turbidity: A measure of water clarity; elevated turbidity can be a result of heavy storm water runoff, land-disturbing activity, algal blooms, or suspended organic matter. NC State standard is 25 NTU in tidal saltwater, 50 NTU in freshwater.

Light Attenuation: Indicates the amount of light that fluxes down through the water column. Increasing turbidity and/or water color results in less light penetration. Important factor for organisms relying on photosynthesis.

Chemical Parameters
Total Nitrogen: Nitrogen is one of the major constituents of organisms, a principal component of amino acids which are the building blocks of proteins. Total Nitrogen includes inorganic forms nitrate/nitrite and ammonium, as well as organic nitrogen.

Nitrate/Nitrite: Nitrates and nitrites are primary plant nutrients, essential for phytoplankton, submerged aquatic vegetation, and emergent vegetation.; Nitrogen and phosphorus are important building blocks of life. Primary nutrients used by phytoplankton and benthic algae are nitrate/nitrite, ammonium, and orthophosphate. High levels can stimulate algal blooms (possibly of noxious or toxic species) and lead to eutrophication. High levels in the river or estuary can be indicative of wastewater effluent, agricultural or urban fertilizer runoff, or land-disturbing activity. NC standard for Nitrate/Nitrite for drinking water is 10 mg/l.

Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen: Sum of ammonium and organic nitrogen compounds.

Silica: Silicon dioxide occurs in all natural waters in various forms. The source of silica is usually natural rock and therefore freshwater contains higher concentrations. Silica is of significance as a major nutrient for diatoms and may become a limiting nutrient during diatom blooms.

Biological Parameters
Phytoplankton: Microscopic algae in the water column form the base of the aquatic food chain. Important both quantitatively (high levels indicate algal blooms) and qualitatively (grazers prefer certain species, some species are noxious or toxic to higher organisms).

Chlorophyll a: A measure of phytoplankton biomass in the water column. High levels can indicate the presence of algal blooms; NC State standard is 40 micrograms per liter (ppb).

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD): A measure of the amount of dissolved oxygen required by aquatic microbes to break down organic material in the water column. High BOD can be indicative of organic pollution.

Fecal Coliform Bacteria: A particular group of bacteria primarily found in human and animal intestines and wastes. These bacteria are widely used as indicator organisms to show the presence of such wastes in water and the possible presence of pathogenic (disease-producing) bacteria. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is one of the fecal coliform bacteria widely used for this purpose. They are measured in CFU/100 ml.

Benthic Chlorophyll: Indicator of the microalgal biomass on the sediment surface. This is the primary food resource available to benthic grazers such as shellfish and numerous finfish species.

Primary Productivity: A measure of the rate of growth of phytoplankton in the water column. Primary productivity is the basic driving force of the aquatic food chain; important indicator of the spatial and temporal supply of nutrients to the system.

Zooplankton: Principal grazers of the phytoplankton and principal food resource for the larvae and juveniles of most species of freshwater and marine fish. Zooplankton are the critical link in water-column food chain between primary producers and higher species. Abundance and type of species can be dependent upon the phytoplankton present or pollution stress in the water column.

Benthic Fauna: Important link in food chain between benthic algae and commercial sportfish. Some species (various shellfish) are important commercial and recreational species themselves. Benthic fauna have limited mobility and thus make excellent indicators of polluted or otherwise stressed aquatic areas.

Resident Fish: Because resident fish species (catfishes, sunfishes, etc.) reside in the study area throughout their lives, they will be used in assessing the incidences of diseases and abnormalities which can indicate poor water quality.

Juvenile Anadromous Fish: Anadromous species (American shad, river herring, striped bass, sturgeon) spawn in upriver areas that are susceptible to water quality degradation. An index of juvenile abundance is therefore necessary to evaluate spawning success of these fish.