Technical Bulletin No. 0926: The Relationship between Algal Metrics and Nutrients in the Long-Term Receiving Water Study Rivers: Spatial and Temporal Variation

Biocriteria are becoming increasingly adopted into monitoring programs and formally adopted into water quality standards intended to protect waters from deterioration. Biological monitoring programs have typically focused on fish and macroinvertebrate communities, largely excluding benthic algae communities. However, many states are examining the use of algal communities, especially diatoms, as ecological indicators because of their clear response to physical and chemical environmental changes, brief life cycles and rapid rates of reproduction, and specific ecological requirements that correlate strongly with environmental conditions.