On a cold day in November 2015, as senior environmental science majors Kaitlin McDonald and Amber Chausse were about to complete a semester-long data collection project, Chausse tripped over a stump that had been placed in the creek for a restoration project and fell into the icy water … all in the name of macroinvertebrates.
Macroinvertebrates are a scientific classification that includes water insects and mollusks. By collecting and analyzing these creatures, the team was able to determine the overall health of the creek they were studying. McDonald and Chausse have followed in the footsteps of past students in pursuing research at Conewago Creek. Conewago Creek is a 23-mile-long tributary of the Susquehanna River in Lebanon, Dauphin and Lancaster counties, in hopes of documenting positive change in the water system.
McDonald chose to take on this research as her Honors in the Discipline project last May. She chose Chausse to be her partner, so the pair could collect samples and analyze results together. For Chausse, field research was a new experience, but credits the experience with giving her interest in careers in this type of work.
“I think the research itself, just getting out in the field and getting to collect the data, not just analyze the text, I think that helped me solidify the ideas I formed in the classroom,” Chausse said.
Dr. Thomas Murray, professor of biology, who has worked on this research since 2002, supervised the students throughout their collecting period. Murray has been contributing to this research since its inception by consulting and directing interested students to one of the several involved environmental protection organizations.
“[Murray] set us up for what we needed to do,” McDonald said. “He showed us how to sample, what we needed to take, basically told us the steps we needed to take, then stepped back so that we were able to do it and complete it on our own.”
The team visited three locations on Conewago Creek over the course of the fall 2015 semester. During each visit, they accumulated fresh water macroinvertebrates by disturbing the water in front of the kick net. Kick nets are mesh nets that hang vertically to collect samples in bodies of water. The samples are taken to a lab to be classified.
“[Macroinvertebrates] are a good indicator of overall water quality,” Murray said. “Part of their research was to look for pollution tolerant and intolerant macroinvertebrate species. By the number and variety of those species, we get a sense of the overall quality of the stream they occupy.”
The researchers utilized the index of biotic integrity that was developed by the Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Agency to measure changes in the ecosystem. The index quantifies the diversity and volume of organisms in various locations to draw conclusions about the larger body of water. The results are compiled and a score is assigned to each that determines if the water is improving or declining and what steps need to be taken.
McDonald and Chausse recorded an improvement in each of their three locations, though the creek is still on the impaired waters list. This directory is used by scientists to make further decisions regarding the treatment of bodies of water.
The research that McDonald and Chausse conducted is part of a larger study including Murray and past students who are interested in water conservation. In 2009, a restoration project was initiated at the creek by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to restore the failing ecosystem. The women spent time learning how the restoration worked and what should have happened to the stream because of them.
Murray explained that the research is beneficial for the environment and the students. It provided valuable data about the health of the creek and the relative changes in quality, as well as creating opportunities for students to get involved.
“From the practical, they are learning a lot of field and lab techniques. … They will present their research at a scientific meeting in April, so that’s good exposure for them,” Murray said.
McDonald and Chausse have always been interested in water, but it wasn’t until recentlythey realized studying water systems was a plausible career. This project cemented the interest of both students in pursuing a job studying water sheds. Both share the goal of working in the field to collect samples and run tests.“It’s a long process. We have seen little improvements and for us, little improvements can mean a little bit better bug diversity or a little bit better habitat,” Murray said. “We know we are making a difference. We can see lower nutrients and better habitats, but it’ll take a while to see all of the improvements.”
Murray will present a talk on the project, Tuesday, Feb. 2, in the Susquehanna Room of Myer Hall, as part of the College’s Faculty Scholarship Series. A reception is scheduled for 7 p.m.; “Saving the Bay One Stream at a Time” is at 7:30