CABIN - Benthic Invertebrates - Kouchibouguac

The Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) is a national aquatic biomonitoring program, established and maintained by Environment and Climate Change Canada, to provide a standardized protocol for the ecological assessment of freshwater ecosystems with the use of benthic macroinvertebrate communities as biological indicators for stream or river conditions. The purpose of the benthic invertebrates monitoring program at Kouchibouguac National Park is to assess the status of freshwater benthic invertebrate assemblages over time and detect trends in order to provide an early warning of deterioration through reductions in total taxa richness, EPT index (i.e., pollution-sensitive taxa richness), or an increase in the Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI) for organic pollution. All field and laboratory procedures follow standard CABIN protocols. A total of 13 sites are monitored; 6 located within KNP boundaries and are sampled annually (PRT01, FNT01, PLY01, BLK01, RNK01, MKL01); while 7 sites are located outside KNP but within the zone of influence and cooperation; 3 of which are also sampled annually (KCC03, KCS03, RTB01-02) while the remaining 4 are sampled in alternate years (KCC01, KCC02, KCS01, KCS02). The data collection for each site includes: general information (e.g., site code, name of sampling crew members, date, site description, geographical notes, surrounding land use, location, site drawing, pictures); reach characteristics (e.g., habitat types, canopy coverage, macrophyte coverage, streamside vegetation, periphyton coverage); water chemistry and quality measurements (in situ or laboratory analysis); substrate characteristics (e.g., pebble count, embeddedness, surrounding material); as well as channel measurements (e.g., bankfull width, wetted width, bankfull-wetted depth, velocity, mean depth, slope). Invertebrates are collected using a kick-net and preserved samples are sent to a laboratory for analysis, where they are mixed then randomly selected for sorting and identification. Taxonomic identification for CABIN purposes requires identification to family level however, where possible, invertebrates are identified to genus or species.