“Benthic monitoring has been done for years in Alberta. It is a core activity and a well-established methodology, both nationally and a part of major international monitoring’, says Fred Wrona, Vice President and Chief Scientist at AEMERA. AEMERA adopted the approach but tailored it specifically to the Athabasca river systems in Alberta,” he says.
Unlike fish, benthos are relatively sedentary and prefer to gather at the bottom of waterbodies in the rocks and sediment. Given they do not swim around much, they are the ideal test subject to determine if water quality is being affected by oil sands development because they’re less able to escape the effects of stressors such as pollution, nutrient depletion, or contaminants.
Petri dish of benthos collected in the oil sands region. Scientists will look at the entire sample of benthos, observing the types, diversity and abundance.
Benthos sampling and analysis is usually done in early September in Alberta. Over a twelve day period, a team of ten or twelve biologists and environmental scientists with aquatic backgrounds pack up their research equipment and set out the day after Labour Day.
“Half of the locations that we monitor are only accessible by helicopter,” says Dr. Bruce Kilgour, lead environmental consultant at Kilgour & Associates Ltd., who works closely with AEMERA. “We put on our rubber boots and waders, then load into the chopper. We get dropped down in the middle of the bush and while the blades are still spinning, we jump out just like you’d see in an action movie.”
“Six hours later, the chopper returns and we head back to the lab. By comparing communities of benthos and studying their differences, we can pinpoint types of pollutants in the water and the potential source, should we come across an abnormal sample,” he says.
Biological monitoring programs help AEMERA take an active stance at protecting the well-being of the surrounding ecosystems that could be impacted by industry. Aquatic research improves AEMERA’s understanding of the current state of the environment and enhances the ability to detect environmental change and manage cumulative effects of the Athabasca River and its major tributaries.
Who knew something so small could tell you so much?!