The document discusses equipment and methodology necessary for ecological classification within integrated water resources management, particularly focusing on benthic invertebrates and phytoplankton sampling. It outlines safety measures, required tools for sample collection, transport, and storage, as well as documentation practices for accurate data analysis. It emphasizes the importance of trained staff and quality assurance in implementing water policy reforms in the Eastern Partnership.

1. European Union Water Initiative plus
for Eastern Partnership
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Support of Water Policy Reforms
towards Integrated Water Resources Management
WORKSHOP ON
ECOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION
Requirements for field and lab
Georg Wolfram
Kyiv, 19-20 June 2018

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for Eastern Partnership
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Depends on
 Typology
 Pressures and sensitivity of BQE
 …
But also on
 Time and financial constraints
 Availability of equipment
 Availability of (trained) staff
WHICH BQE / WHICH METHOD?
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for Eastern Partnership
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 Summary overview of requirements for equipment and staff
(mainly with MZB and phytoplankton in mind; for fish, diatoms
etc  workshop on field/lab training and survey in autumn)
 Address also the demands from quality assurance
WHAT THIS PRESENTATION SHALL PROVIDE:
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for Eastern Partnership
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 General equipment
 Safety measures
 Sampling
 Transport + storage
 Sample processing
 Data analysis
 Documentation
EQUIPMENT
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Waders (in wadable rivers), boat (in deep rivers and lakes)
GENERAL EQUIPMENT
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Safedom, CreativeCommons (CC BY-SA 3.0) M. Lansing, CreativeCommons (CC BY-SA 2.0)© P. Wenzl (DWS Hydro-Ökologie)

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especially in turbid or fast flowing rivers …
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
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© G. Wolfram (DWS Hydro-Ökologie) © P. Wenzl (DWS Hydro-Ökologie)

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… during winter or at polluted sites …
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
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© W. Stockinger (DWS Hydro-Ökologie) USEPA, CreativeCommons, Public Domain

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Gloves (electro-certified for electro-fishing), livejacket, ropes …
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
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© G. Wolfram (DWS Hydro-Ökologie) Delanie Stafford, CreativeCommons
www.smith-root.com

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SAMPLING
Benthic invertebrates
Net for multi-habitat-sampling (MHS; 500 µm)
Sediment grab (Ekman-Birge, van Veen ...)
Sediment corer
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SAMPLING
Benthic invertebrates
Chironomid exuviae net (= any net, even a kitchen sieve)
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SAMPLING
Benthic invertebrates
White trays for sorting in the field, forceps ..
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SAMPLING
Phytoplankton
Plankton net (30-40 µm)
 not too fine to avoid clogging of the net
 but be aware that small algae will be
underrepresented
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Secchi deth

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SAMPLING
Phytoplankton
Water sampler
+ temperature scale
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Avoid the
„classical“
Ruttner
sampler!
Integrated water sampler

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SAMPLING
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DOCUMENTATION
Handset for physico-
chemical parameters
(T, pH, EC, O2)
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Distance meter (river
breadth; length of a
river stretch)
compass
Photo-camera (+GPS)
Water
depth
gauge

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DOCUMENTATION
Write down whatever you notice in the field that could be relevant
and may affect the assessment result!
MHS sampling:
- Simple drawing with
the sampling site and
the distribution of
habitats
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DOCUMENTATION
MHS
Mineral substrate
Organicsubstrate
percentage
Number of replicates for composite sample
(in total 20 replicates)
% or substrate type

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DOCUMENTATION
Take photos that allow to reconstruct the conditions during the
sampling!
e.g. sampling team and method, water level, turbidity, surface
foam or film, invertebrate drift, litter, cattle upstream …
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TRANSPORT + STORAGE
Lock-lid boxes
Storage boxes (ice packs; optionally with cooling device)
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TRANSPORT + STORAGE
Fixing / preserving agents
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37% formaldehyde
 4% end concentration
effective, lower volume,
but toxic
96% alcohol
 70% end concentration
higher volume, not toxic

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TRANSPORT + STORAGE
Fixing / preserving agents
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Lugol solution
for quantitative
phytoplankton
samples
(a few drops 
colour should be
like cognac)
qualitative
phytoplankton
samples should be
sorted under
microscope as living
samples

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LABORATORY
Benthic invertebrates
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MICROSCOPY
Benthic invertebrates
Family level
• Binocular microscope: 50x magnification
• Cold-light source or LED (as gooseneck lamp – better than
than a ring light fix-mounted on the microscope)
• glass plate for transmissive light with a mirror below (better
than a milk glass pane)
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MICROSCOPY
Benthic invertebrates
Species level
• Binocular microscope: 70x magnification
• Light as for family level
• Transmission microscope (e.g. for chironomids, oligochaetes,
aquatic beetles …): max 500x magnification (12.5x ocular and 40x
objective)
• Phase contrast, interference contrast and dark field are helpful in
some cases, but not necessary
• Oil immersion (objective with 100x magnification) is not necessary
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MICROSCOPY
Benthic invertebrates
Photo
• Can be taken simply with the mobile phone through the ocular
(simple; can be quickly sent to collegues; quality is sufficient in
most cases)
Permanent slides
• necessary for some groups such as oligochaetes: polyvinyl
alcohol (PVA) or levulose syrup
• Permanent slides: Glycerine, Euparal, Canada balsam or
DMHF (5.5-Dimethylhydantoin Formaldehyde Resin, also
known as Hydantoin739)
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MICROSCOPY
Diatoms
• Transmission microscope with very good objectives (more
important than a tri-ocular microscope or photo equipment)
• The set of objectives should include a 60x and a 100x (oil
immersion), Plan Apochromat, with numerical aperture
NA≥1.40.
• DIC (differential interference contrast) is necessary for
identifying the small structures of the diatoms
• (The price just for the objective will/should be about 500 €)
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Thank you for your attention!