Macroinvertebrates Freshwater
Aquatic macroinvertebrates are found in most creeks, rivers, lakes and wetlands. They are easy to catch and come in a variety of weird and wonderful shapes. Students of all ages love looking at them, so they are a great way to stimulate interest in environmental issues.
Macroinvertebrate monitoring is relatively simple and can be undertaken using a net that you make yourself. Alternatively you might like to borrow a macro monitoring kit from your local NRM Education Office. This kit contains 10 nets, viewers, trays and other useful equipment.
Instructions on how to monitor, background teacher notes, lesson plans and extension activities can be found in the Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Teacher Information Pack. There is also an instructional video below.
Once you have undertaken your macroinvertebrate monitoring dont forget to send us your results via the Send us Your Data link below.
Resources
Teacher Information Pack (1.3mb PDF)
Junior Macroinvertebrate ID Chart (260kb PDF)
Advanced Macroinvertebrate ID Chart (1.1mb PDF)
Results Datasheet (B&W version 111kb PDF)
Results Datasheet (colour version 532kb PDF)
Macroinvertebrates worksheet (85kb Word Document) - This worksheet on macroinvertebrates was kindly provided by St Joseph's School, Hectorville.
A4 Big Bug cards with summary information (5.8mb PDF)
A4 Big Bug cards (no text) (1mb PDF)
Habitat Zones series (3mb PDF) - Five A3 posters that describe important freshwater habitat zones.
EPA Critter Catalogue (2.6mb PDF)
Originally produced by the Environment Protection Authority for Waterwatch SA, the Critter Catalogue is a scientific resource for the community that provides an informative guide to the natural history of the aquatic invertebrates of South Australia. It is a valuable tool for teachers, students and community groups, providing them with information on South Australian aquatic invertebrates to help them more effectively monitor, understand and protect their local aquatic environments.
Results
Video Tutorial
Critters - Where They Wriggle
This video demonstrates how to collect aquatic macroinvertebrates and why they are useful in water quality monitoring. It was developed for NRM Education by students from Urrbrae TAFE and Urrbrae Agricultural High School.