The Rainbow (Darter) Connection: Darter population and diversity as bioindicators in the Dayton area

The Rainbow (Darter) Connection: Darter population and diversity as bioindicators in the Dayton area

Presenter(s)

Lauren Roy

Comments

Presentation: 10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Kennedy Union Ballroom

Description

The conditions of water quality in our rivers and waterways drastically impacts the organisms inhabiting them, with low water quality, reducing the fitness of the individual in many ways. It is important to both understand and document the conditions organisms are in.To better understand the impacts of water quality on the organisms in their environment, I went out to the five rivers surrounding Dayton and performed catch-and-release field work on Darters, which are part of the Etheostomatinae family. Darters are a very common Ohio river fish that are excellent indicators of water quality due to their intolerance of pollution. The quality of the water that these darters are living in varies greatly, as both outfalls into the river and wastewater treatment plants can release water full of pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and various metals. I used a seine net to catch the darters, identify the species and sex as well as take measurements of their length and weight to compare to other sites that vary in water quality parameters. I also collected macroinvertebrates along a restoration site on the wolf creek river to assess the quality of the water before the restoration occurs, and to match macroinvertebrate abundance to darter abundance. The data collected will provide information on darter populations, diversity, and success in correlation with outfalls and wastewater output in the Dayton area, reflecting the overall quality of the local ecosystem.

Publication Date

4-19-2023

Project Designation

Independent Research

Primary Advisor

Jennifer Hellmann

Primary Advisor's Department

Biology

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Institutional Learning Goals

Critical Evaluation of Our Times; Practical Wisdom

The Rainbow (Darter) Connection: Darter population and diversity as bioindicators in the Dayton area

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