Aquatic Invertebrates

When it comes to black abalone, many hold a story of deep connection to these seemingly inconspicuous invertebrates.

Freshwater mussels help keep our waterways clean, among other benefits. But many mussel species are highly imperiled. Photo documentation is an important part of the work to rescue them.

A method to measure populations in national parks could be expanded to other areas.

When aquatic ecologist Alex Egan and a team of partners set out to learn more about freshwater rock pools at Isle Royale National Park, they expected interesting connections with the surrounding landscape. But what they found challenged them to rethink a lot of what they thought they knew—and will help park managers to protect the resilience of these systems into the future.

Discover the unique and fascinating research centered on aquatic invertebrates found in the alpine and in the Nyack floodplain aquifer. Explore how the presence of these creatures adds to the biodiversity of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem and learn about threats that face them.

Read the abstract and get the link to a published science article on the important role of seaweed in the North Pacific nearshore ecosystem: Corliss, K., V. von Biela, H. Coletti, J. Bodkin, D. Esler, and K. Iken. 2024. Relative importance of macroalgae and phytoplankton to nearshore consumers and growth across climatic conditions in the northern Gulf of Alaska. Estuaries and Coasts doi: 10.1007/s12237-024-01371-6

Fish and aquatic invertebrate communities can tell us a lot about the health of streams. We monitor the aquatic community in Hoover Creek at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site to help managers understand the condition of the creek and how it may be changing. Most of the fish and aquatic invertebrates in Hoover Creek are tolerant or moderately tolerant of poor water quality and habitat conditions.

Last fall, as the coho and steelhead monitoring crew was counting juvenile fish in Olema Creek, they spotted a familiar species in an unexpected place. Normally, they see tiny, translucent, California freshwater shrimp in the lower two miles of the creek. Now, crewmembers were seeing them almost a half mile farther upstream than their previously recorded upstream extent.

Since the middle of the 20th century, development of the California coastline has exploded and these areas are now home to millions of people. Prior to this era, the coastlines were dominated by a different species, black abalone. Ask anyone who grew up in coastal California in the mid-20th century and they will tell you that during any visit to the rocky shores, you’d encounter black abalone…and a lot of them!

Monitoring data from 2008 to 2017 show that Dousman Creek at Effigy Mounds National Monument is in fair to good condition. However, the habitat and aquatic community is changing because of flood events and upstream water management practices. The creek is supporting more aquatic species that are tolerant of environmental changes in recent years. We use information about aquatic community composition to assess water quality and stream condition.