|
Lower Trophic Levels
North/South Consultants Inc. has proven expertise in the design, conduct, and interpretation of aquatic studies and monitoring programs to assess lower trophic level organisms including phytoplankton, periphyton, zooplankton, and benthic invertebrates.
Representative Projects:
Analysis of Benthic and Planktonic Organisms
Conducted a long-term project to identify and enumerate benthic and planktonic organisms from the Beaufort Sea. The primary objective of the work was to provide a complete and accurate list of planktonic and benthic invertebrate species from oceanographic surveys conducted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. All samples were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level, biomass determinations made, and systematics lists provided for the area. These studies were conducted under the Northern Oil and Gas Action Program (NOGAP) which was formed to assess the environmental impact of hydrocarbon development in the Arctic.
Biomonitoring Project - Slave River Northwest Territories
Conducted a survey to provide quantitative and qualitative descriptions of benthic habitats and associated macroinvertebrate communities in the Slave River near Fort Smith to evaluate the potential for a future biomonitoring program. The study recommended community types and species that would most readily lend themselves to monitoring river-borne contaminants that originated in southern portions of the watershed.
In the second phase of the study a long-term monitoring program was designed, implemented, and evaluated. Staff from the Renewable Resources Department of the Government of the Northwest Territories were provided with an orientation in field sampling methods and have subsequently taken over long-term monitoring.
Others
Over the years, North/South Consultants Inc. has conducted numerous assessments of lower trophic level populations as components of larger studies. Some of these projects have been presented in other areas of our website, as follows:
Top of Page
|
