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A more cost-effective EMAP benthic macrofaunal sampling protocol.

Steven P Ferraro1, Faith A Cole, Anthony R Olsen

  • 1U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2111 S.E. Marine Science Drive, Newport, Oregon, USA. ferraro.steven@epa.gov

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
|June 17, 2006
PubMed
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The 0.01 m(2) x 5 cm deep, 1.0 mm mesh benthic macrofauna sampling protocol is most cost-effective for the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP). This method provides comparable results to larger EMAP protocols with reduced processing time.

Area of Science:

  • Marine biology
  • Environmental science
  • Ecosystem monitoring

Background:

  • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) uses specific protocols for benthic macrofaunal sampling.
  • Standard protocols involve collecting 30–50 samples per unit using large grabs and specific mesh sizes (0.5 mm or 1.0 mm).
  • Benthic community health is assessed using cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) for metrics like species richness (S), abundance (A), and Shannon-Wiener diversity (H').

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the cost-effectiveness of different benthic macrofauna sampling protocols.
  • To evaluate if smaller sampling gear can achieve similar results to the standard EMAP West Coast protocol.
  • To determine the most efficient method for laboratory sample processing while maintaining data integrity.

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Main Methods:

  • A field study in Tillamook Bay, Oregon, compared three protocols: EMAP West Coast (0.1 m(2) x ≥7 cm deep, 1.0 mm mesh), a 0.01 m(2) x 5 cm deep, 1.0 mm mesh, and a 0.01 m(2) x 5 cm deep, 0.5 mm mesh.
  • Cost-effectiveness was measured by relative laboratory sample-processing time.
  • Protocol effectiveness was assessed by comparing S, A, and H' CDFs after linear transformation to account for scale differences.

Main Results:

  • The 0.01 m(2) x 5 cm deep, 1.0 mm mesh sampling protocol was found to be the most cost-effective.
  • This protocol demonstrated comparable effectiveness to the larger EMAP West Coast protocol in characterizing benthic macrofaunal communities.
  • Reduced sample processing time indicates significant cost savings.

Conclusions:

  • The smaller-volume, 1.0 mm mesh benthic sampling protocol offers a more cost-effective alternative for EMAP studies.
  • This optimized protocol maintains the scientific rigor required for environmental monitoring and assessment.
  • Adoption of this protocol can lead to substantial resource savings in laboratory analyses.