Autumn Conference and Awards 2011
Where there’s water there’s Life+
Session 2
Life goes on . . .
Chaired by: Dr Dylan Bright
Director - Westcountry Rivers Trust
Dr Ingrid Jüttner
Research Curator (Diatoms)
National Museum of Wales
The Use of Diatoms in Monitoring and the ISAC Project
Ingrid Jüttner
Diatom
biology
investigation
Diatoms
in environmental
sciences
and for
monitoring
water quality
- unicellular, microscopic algae with a silica cell wall
Diatoms are
- found in freshwaters, the sea and wet terrestrial habitats
- free-floating in the plankton
or attached to surfaces as part of biofilms
Diatoms as seen in light microscopy
Diatom as seen in electron microscopy
Collecting from benthic substrata stones or macrophytes
Laboratory processing to remove organic material
Microscope investigations
Use of diatoms in applied environmental sciences
Long-term environmental change e.g. climate, sea levels
Paleolimnological studies on sediment cores
Water quality monitoring
Nutrient enrichment
Surface water acidity
Habitats
Lakes, springs, rivers and estuaries, bogs
Marine environments (coastal habitats, coral reefs, sea floor)
Subaerial habitats (rock faces) and animals (fish, seabirds)
Research fields
Environmental sciences, forensic science, oil and gas exploration, archaeology
Commercial use
Diatomite (filtration techniques, nanotechnology)
Diatom indices to monitor water quality
France
Germany
Sweden
Hungary
Specific Pollution sensitivity Index (1982 and continued updates)
Halobien Index (1999)
Acidity Index for streams (2008)
Trophic Diatom Index for Lakes (2007)
Britain and Ireland
Kelly & Whitton 1995
The Trophic Diatom Index: a new index for monitoring eutrophication in rivers.
Journal of Applied Phycology
Kelly et al. 2007
Assessment of ecological status in U.K. rivers using diatoms.
Freshwater Biology
Kelly, Juggins et al. in prep. Acid Water Index
photo: south-wales.org.uk
Monitoring water quality at Cardiff Bay
and in the Taff and Ely catchments
DARES and DALES Projects
Diatom Assessment of River or Lake Ecological Status
developed two new methods for rivers and lakes
Evaluation of ecological status and water quality (EU Water Framework Directive) using
Trophic diatom index (TDI)
to assess trophic conditions
Ecological Quality Ratios (EQRs)
to assess deviation of diatom assemblages from reference conditions
Cardiff Bay
Surveys 2004 – 2006 4x per year
River Taff
3
Residential and
commercial areas
photo: FreeFoto.com
T1
Residential and
commercial areas
6
Objectives
4
5
• Monitoring
variations of water quality
E1
• assessing impacts
10
River Ely
in different areas of the Bay
17
Cardiff
Harbour
9
of the inflowing rivers
Sea
16
Residential areas Marina
15
Barrage
Water quality at Cardiff Bay
Ecological
status
classes
T1
high
moderate
River Taff
0.56
Residential, commercial areas
3
poor
0.31
bad
Residential,
commercial
areas
E1
6
0.22
4
5
0.29
Cardiff
Harbour
0.27
10
River Ely
0.47
0.28
9
0.25
0.27
Sea
17
16
Barrage
0.29
Residential areas Marina
15
0.24
Trophic Diatom Index: 70 - 90 (scale 1[high] -100[bad]), Cardiff Bay > Taff, Ely
Ecological Quality Ratios: Bay 0.22 – 0.29, rivers 0.27 – 0.56
Rivers Taff and Ely
Merthyr
Tydfil
Aberdare
1 survey 2004
• 22 sites (Taff catchment)
• 12 sites (Ely catchment)
• above / below major confluences,
towns and sewage treatment works
Pontypridd
• reference sites in upper catchments
Llantrisant
Nant Clun
Cardiff
Ely
Cardiff Bay
Ecological
Status Class
High
Good
Moderate
Poor
Taff
Fechan
Taff
Fawr
Good or high ecological status
Taff – all upper catchment sites
Merthyr
Tydfil
Aberdare
Ely – one upper catchment site
Taff
Bargoed
Cynon
Rhondda
Mostly poor sometimes moderate
ecological status
Pontypridd
Middle and lower catchments
Taff
Nant
Clun
Cardiff
Ely
pHISH Liming Project
2003-2008
Wye
upstream Llangurig
26 sites
Irfon
upstream Llanwrtyd Wells
21 sites
monitored
3 – 4 x per year
Changes in diatom assemblages in a tributary to the Wye
Liming
% Relative abundance
100
Acid tolerant species
Acid sensitive species
80
60
40
20
Date of investigation
11/06
7/06
4/06
11/05
4/05
2/05
10/04
7/04
4/04
2/04
10/03
7/03
0
Variations in acidity between and within streams
as indicated by diatom assemblages
Upper Wye
WY46
Acid sensitive diatoms
WY51
WY49
Acid tolerant diatoms
WY45
WY52
WY44
WY48
WY47
WY39
WY35
WY56
WY33
2.0 km
Acid sensitive diatom assemblages e.g. at WY44
Acid tolerant diatom assemblages e.g. at WY56
Variations in acidity between main stream Wye and Irfon sites
and in the Irfon catchment
Upper Wye
Irfon
Acid sensitive diatoms
WY50
Acid tolerant diatoms
IF25
IF24
IF22
WY43
WY53
IF10
WY34
WY30
IF12
IF8
IF6
IF1
2.0 km
WY60
1.5 km
ISAC – Irfon Liming Project
2011-2013
in total 22 sites
near Irfon source
→ Llanwrtyd Wells
7 main stream sites
above confluence
Irfon / Afon Gwesyn
2 main stream sites
below confluence
13 tributaries
monitoring 4x per year
diatoms
water chemistry
(pH, conductivity, Ca, metals)
Irfon main stream sites
Survey January 2011
near source of Irfon
near Llanwrtyd Wells
IF33
IF32
IF31
100
100
100
IF37
IF22
IF36
IF10
IF1M
IF8
100
100
100
100
100
100
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
80
80
80
80
80
80
80
80
80
70
70
70
70
70
70
70
70
70
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
40
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1/11
Pinnsubc
1/11
1/11
Eunoexig
Pinnsubc
Eunoexig
Pinnsubc
1/11
Frustcfer
Eunocfte
Eunoinci
Eunorhomb
Eunoexig
Eunoexig
Achnminu
pH 5.0
5.3
5.6
5.5
1/11
Eunoexig
Eunoinci
5.9
0
1/11
1/11
1/11
1/11
Eunoexig
Eunoexig
Achnminu
Fragcagr
Achnminu
Achnminu
6.0
5.8
Achnminu
6.1
6.2
Irfon – similarity of diatom assemblages
MDS ordination
IF35
IF31
IF40
IF30
IF11
IF39
IF1M
IF8
IF2
IF23
IF24
IF6
IF34 IF32
IF36
IF37IF38
IF10
IF22
IF12
IF33
IF25
Irfon – similarity of diatom assemblages
MDS ordination
heavily shaded forest site
with highest metal concentration
dominated by
IF35 acid tolerant Eunotia rhomboidea
IF31
IF40
have responded
to liming
IF30
IF11
IF39
IF1M
IF8
IF2
dominated by
acid sensitive
Achnanthidium
minutissimum
IF23
IF24
IF6
near source of Irfon
dominated by several
acid tolerant Eunotia
species and Pinnularia
IF34 IF32
IF36
IF37IF38
IF10
IF22
IF12
IF33
IF25
dominated by acid tolerant Eunotia exigua
ISAC current state of work and future plans
2 surveys prior to liming completed
8 surveys to assess effects of liming
will be conducted in 2011 - 2013
Selected publications on monitoring
Jüttner I., P.J. Chimonides, S.J. Ormerod 2010. Using diatoms as quality indicators for a newly-formed
urban lake and its catchment. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 162, 47-65.
Jüttner I. Chimonides P.D.J., Ormerod S.J. Developing a diatom monitoring network in an urban riverbasin: initial assessment and site selection. Hydrobiologia in press.
Lewis B., Jüttner I., Reynolds B., Marsh-Smith S., Ormerod S.J. 2007. Comparative assessment of
stream acidity using diatoms and macroinvertebrates: implications for river management and
conservation. Aquatic Conservation. Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 17, 502-519.
Jüttner I., Sharma S., Dahal B.M., Ormerod S.J., Chimonides P.J., Cox E.J. 2003. Diatoms as
indicators of stream quality in the Kathmandu Valley and Middle Hills of Nepal and India. Freshwater
Biology, 48, 2065-2084.
Hirst H., Jüttner I., Ormerod S. 2002. Comparing the response of diatoms and macroinvertebrates to
metals in upland streams of Wales and Cornwall. Freshwater Biology, 47, 1752-1765.
Jüttner I., Lintelmann J., Michalke B., Winkler R., Steinberg C.E.W., Kettrup A. 1997.
The acidification of the Herrenwieser See, Black Forest, Germany, before and during industrialization.
Water Research 31, 1194-1206.
http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/biosyb/lowerplants/staff/
Autumn Conference and Awards 2011
Where there’s water there’s Life+