NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Tags: physical sciences, water quality, environmental monitoring, zooplankton, invertebrates

Objective(s): To establish a long-term monitoring program in Frame Lake to monitor water quality, zooplankton, benthic invertebrates.

Project Description: We are planning to establish a long-term monitoring program in Frame Lake to monitor water quality, zooplankton, and benthic Invertebrates. Water quality probes will be set up at a central monitoring point on the lake. A buoy will be anchored to the lake bottom and the probes will be attached to the buoy. The probes will monitor temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and conductivity levels near the surface and at locations near to the lake bottom. The probes will be installed after the ice-off in spring and will remain in the lake until the end of the summer. This will provide a continuous record of physical conditions in the lake throughout the summer. Approximately 5 liters of water will also be collected periodically from the lake for analysis at the laboratory. These samples will be analyzed for nutrients, metals, dissolved organic and inorganic carbon, major ions, and chlorophyll a. In combination with the data from our probes, these measurements will allow us to gain a clearer picture of the water quality in Frame Lake. To assess the invertebrate community, the research team will collect zooplankton and macroinvertebrate samples at least twice per year. Zooplankton are microscopic invertebrates that live in the open water and are important food items for young fish. They will be collected by towing a 30 cm diameter conical zooplankton net vertically through the water from the bottom to the surface. Macroinvertebrates include juvenile insects, worms, as well as other invertebrates such as leeches that live on the lake bottom. These will be collected using standard methods by wading into the lake and kicking the bottom to disturb sediments while scooping up sediment and invertebrates with a D-shaped net. Approximately 3 square meters of lake bottom will be temporarily disturbed to collect macroinvertebrates. Both zooplankton and macroinvertebrates will be processed at the laboratory to ascertain the quantity and identity of species in the samples. These data will allow the team to examine if changes in invertebrates occur after the installation of an aerator on the lake. The research team are planning to get the community involved in the project in several ways: 1. The team are hoping to recruit a local field assistant to help with sampling invertebrates and setting up and maintaining water quality monitoring equipment. This would provide an opportunity for the field assistant to learn about the deployment of water quality sensors, and get experience using standard techniques to collect invertebrates. 2. In the past, one of the investigators on this project (Pete Cott) has worked with Forest School of Canada on their Bushkids course. This provides an opportunity to introduce primary school students to the history and science behind Frame Lake and talk about current efforts to restore the lake. We are going to pursue opportunities to get further involved in this program. 3. Ecology North holds a lecture series at the museum, which would be a perfect opportunity to speak to local residents about the monitoring project. The team will approach Ecology North to see if we can get a spot on the schedule of talks. The research team will request a meeting with the Land and Environment Department of the Yellowknife Dene First Nation to talk about the results. The team will also seek out local media coverage about the project so that local residents will be informed about the project and the results. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from June 17, 2019, to December 31, 2019.