The Project
This research paper is the product of a research project I conducted with three other UC undergraduate students during our California Ecology and Conservation program in the summer of 2023. The study was conducted on the South Fork Eel River in the Angelo Coast Range Reserve in northern California. We focused our study on algae and diatoms, two types of primary producers highly prevalent in the Eel River that grow horizontally and vertically from the bottom of the river (referred to as periphyton). Across a 5-day period of data collection and over just a 2-week span, we examined the effect of stream water flow characteristics on the abundance of algae and diatoms in the river, as well as how both of these factors influenced the aquatic macroinvertebrate density and community composition that lived within the producers.
Our findings have greater implications in conservation and management, providing experimental evidence to support the protection of streams. We found that the flow of the water in the stream influenced the abundance of periphyton and macroinvertebrate density, which form the base of the food web in river ecosystems. This means that any abnormal impact on water flow from causes such as dams, stream diversion for agriculture, or the effects of climate change can have a cascading effect on the ecosystem. For instance, too much water at a high velocity can wash away periphyton and aquatic macroinvertebrates. On the other hand, too little water, especially in the summer when the water level is naturally low, can cause periphyton to become stagnate and decompose, releasing large amounts of nutrients that are ideal for harmful cyanobacteria to grow. The sensitivity of river ecosystems due to variability in stream flow make the preservation and close monitoring of this ecosystem highly critical.
The study site: the South Fork Eel River.
The Experience
During this research project, I learned a lot about the ecology of freshwater stream systems, algae and diatoms, aquatic macroinvertebrate identification, data analysis using JMP Software, and paper writing. My projects and research in the past usually dealt with stationary components: plants and with my feet planted on the ground (quadrats are so much easier to analyze when they’re not moving!). So trudging my way through chest-high waters while collecting samples of wavering pieces of algae without getting water into my waders was quite the experience. The macro- and microinvertebrates constantly moving around in our little petri dishes while trying to pick them up and identify them under a microscope is hard to forget, too. But the experience was rewarding. On an ecological level, I learned about algae and diatoms and their trophic interactions and their role in stream health. I learned about the orders and groups of some common macroinvertebrates in freshwater streams and how to identify them. I even started to dive into the minute world of aquatic microorganisms because I was fascinated by the tiny dots that can barely be seen with the naked eye darting around in the water (which was beyond the scope of our project but amazing to see!).
And of course, the outcome of this work was also the fulfillment of the development of interpersonal skills. I learned a lot about patience, collaboration, and how to deal with roadblocks within the group and project. My team and I were under a strict time crunch for this project and thus under a lot of stress. The whole thing was conceptualized, piloted, reworked, fully conducted, statistically analyzed, written, presented, and prepared for publication in the span of two weeks. That left very little room for troubleshooting errors or time to refine the research process. We spent long days traversing through the river to collect water and periphyton samples to analyze in our makeshift lab the same evening.
The Product
You can also read the article here: Relationship between River Water Flow Rate, Periphyton Abundance and Macroinvertebrate Communities.