2022 Association of Mid-Atlantic Aquatic Biologists Workshop Virtual Meeting
March 30 - 31, 2022
2022 Meeting Dates and Letter from the President
The 2022 Meeting of the Association of Mid-Atlantic Aquatic Biologists, hosted this year by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, will be held virtually March 30-31.
On Wednesday, March 30 there will be a full day of oral presentations and a social activity. Attendees are encouraged to share their research as either an oral presentation (15 min with 5 min for questions), a speed talk (5 min with 2 min for questions), or as a PDF poster that can be viewed throughout the day. This provides an ideal venue to share your research and restoration projects with regional scientists from local, state, and federal agencies, academics and organizations, familiarize yourself with other projects in the Mid-Atlantic region, and engage with in friendly conversation. Join us during the morning and afternoon breaks for a fun and engaging game of Aquatic Biologists Jeopardy!
Workshops will be held on Thursday, March 31 from 9am-12pm. Choices for workshops include:
Trichoptera Identification - Andy Rasmussen & Alex Orfinger, Florida A&M University - We will present a half-day online workshop on the taxonomic identification of larval Trichoptera (caddisflies). Attendees will be encouraged to ask questions and contribute to the discussion. The instructors will cover a wide range of topics including: Classification, Morphology and Identification, Taxonomic Resources, Identification of Polycentropodidae (Trumpet-Net Caddisflies), and Molecular Identification.
Stressor Identification Using Caddis - Kate Schofield, USEPA Integrated Environmental Assessment Branch, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment. Thousands of waterbodies in the United States are listed as biologically impaired; for many of these waterbodies the cause of impairment is reported as “unknown.” Before appropriate management actions can be developed and implemented, the causes of these impairments must be identified. CADDIS—the Causal Analysis/Diagnosis Decision Information System—is an on-line application designed to help users conduct these causal assessments. CADDIS provides a strength of evidence-based framework for stressor identification, along with information and tools (e.g., stressor summaries, analytical tools and examples, case studies) that can assist in identifying likely causes of biological impairment in streams and rivers. This workshop will provide an overview of CADDIS, including the Stressor Identification process and the supporting information and tools available on the CADDIS website. It will draw from regionally relevant examples to illustrate how CADDIS has been used and end with discussion of how future development of CADDIS can better address your key stressor identification needs. Go to (epa.gov/caddis) to learn more about Causal Analysis/Diagnosis Decision Information System (CADDIS).
Harmful Algal Blooms: Identification Using eDNA and Overview of a Statewide Management Strategy - Christopher Main, DE DNREC and Vic Poretti, NJ DEP
An Introduction to Rendering Reports Using R - Lou Reynolds, USEPA - This workshop will introduce the capabilities of R for publishing reports as html, pdf, and Word documents. The integration of data wrangling, analysis, visualization, and presentation is an important aspect of reproducible research. Written reports are an important, and many times, required way to present data. We will cover the basics and some more intermediate aspects of going from R code to documents – so it is helpful if you are familiar and comfortable with R. If you are already proficient and comfortable producing reports in R, this is not the course for you. It is important to have R, and R Studio, already installed on your computer. Question about the course are welcome. Email Lou Reynolds at reynolds.louis@epa.gov.
DAY 1: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022, 09:00 – 16:30 – PRESENTATIONS
09:00 Welcome, AMAAB Business, Announcements Jenna Krug & Brian Henning, NJDEP - 2022 AMAAB President & Co-Chair/Jeopardy Host (jenna.krug@dep.nj.gov; brian.henning@dep.nj.gov)
09:10 Potentially Toxigenic (PTOX) Cyanobacteria Observed in New Jersey During Multi-species Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Events Leah Anne Gibala-Smith, NJDEP, Bureau of Freshwater and Biological Monitoring (leah.gibala-smith@dep.nj.gov)
09:30 Investigating the Effects of Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms on the Vulnerability to Shell Disease of Northern Red-bellied Turtles (Pseudemys rubriventris) in New Jersey Meiyin Wu, New Jersey Center for Water Science & Technology, Montclair State University(wum@montclair.edu)
09:50 Assessing Harmful Algal Blooms at a Recreational Lake in Northern New Jersey Using Satellite Imagery David Hsu, New Jersey Center for Water Science & Technology, Montclair State University (hsut@mail.montclair.edu)
10:10 Assessment of Digital Imaging Flow Cytometry in its Application of Harmful Algal Blooms Monitoring Melissa Mazzaro, New Jersey Center for Water Science & Technology, Montclair State University (mazzarom@montclair.edu)
10:30 - 10:50 BREAK 20 minutes – JEOPARDY Round 1
10:50 Freshwater Probabilistic Monitoring Reporting Advances and Programmatic Integration at VDEQ – 40 min Emma Jones, VADEQ (emma.jones@deq.virginia.gov)
11:30 Stream Fish Life History Strategies Explained by Environmental Stability Nathaniel Hitt, USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (nhitt@usgs.gov)
11:50 Using Environmental DNA for Surveillance and Monitoring of Aquatic Invasive Species Julie Lockwood, Rutgers University (julie.lockwood@rutgers.edu)
12:10 – 13:10 LUNCH 1 HOUR
13:10 Creating Native vs Non-Native Fish Status in Virginia by HUC 8 Brett Stern and Royce Steiner, VADEQ (royce.steiner@deq.virginia.gov; brett.stern@deq.virginia.gov)
13:30 Spatial and Temporal Analyses of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Smallmouth Bass Plasma from Sites in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Vicki Blazer, USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (vblazer@usgs.gov)
13:50 Aquatic Life Use Assessments Using a Thermal Fish Index – 60 min Tim Wertz and Matt Shank, PADEP (twertz@pa.gov; mattheshan@pa.gov)
14:50 – 15:10 BREAK 20 minutes – JEOPARDY Round 2
15:10 Making an Alphabet Soup of RBPs and SDMs: Using Multiple Tools to Inform Unionid Mussel Restoration Selina Cheng, Maryland DNR (selina.cheng@maryland.gov)
15:20 Evaluating the Hydrology, Water-Quality, and Ecological Communities of Two Restored Urban-Suburban Streams in Northern Virginia Brendan Foster, USGS VA/WV Water Science Center (bfoster@usgs.gov)
15:30 10 Years of Continuous Instream Monitoring in Susquehanna River Basin - StoryMap and Data Dashboard Luanne Steffy, Susquehanna River Basin Commission (lsteffy@srbc.net)
15:40 Karst Terrain Promotes Thermal Resiliency in Headwater Streams Karmann Kessler, USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (kkessler@usgs.gov)
15:50 Developing a Chesapeake Bay Watershed-Wide View of Biological Status & Trends Kevin Krause, USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (kkrause@usgs.gov)
16:00 Comparing Salt Dilution and Acoustic Doppler Methods for Measuring Discharge in Remote Headwater Streams Karli Rogers, USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (kmrogers@usgs.gov)
16:10 Announcements/Business-Elections/Adjourn
DAY 2: March 31, 2022, 09:00 – 12:00 – WORKSHOPS
1. Trichoptera Identification Facilitator: Andy Rasmussen (andrew.rasmussen@famu.edu) & Alex Orfinger (alexander1.orfinger@famu.edu), Florida A&M University We will present a half-day online workshop on the taxonomic identification of larval Trichoptera (caddisflies). Attendees will be encouraged to ask questions and contribute to the discussion. The instructors will cover a wide range of topics including: Classification, Morphology and Identification, Taxonomic Resources, Identification of Polycentropodidae (Trumpet-Net Caddisflies), and Molecular Identification.
2. Stressor Identification Using CADDIS Facilitator: Kate Schofield, USEPA Integrated Environmental Assessment Branch, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (schofield.kate@epa.gov) Thousands of waterbodies in the United States are listed as biologically impaired; for many of these waterbodies the cause of impairment is reported as “unknown.” Before appropriate management actions can be developed and implemented, the causes of these impairments must be identified. CADDIS—the Causal Analysis/Diagnosis Decision Information System—is an online application designed to help users conduct these causal assessments. CADDIS provides a strength of evidence-based framework for stressor identification, along with information and tools (e.g., stressor summaries, analytical tools and examples, case studies) that can assist in identifying likely causes of biological impairment in streams and rivers. This workshop will provide an overview of CADDIS, including the Stressor Identification process and the supporting information and tools available on the CADDIS website. It will draw from regionally relevant examples to illustrate how CADDIS has been used and end with discussion of how future development of CADDIS can better address your key stressor identification needs. Go to epa.gov/caddis to learn more about Causal Analysis/Diagnosis Decision Information System (CADDIS).
3. Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs): Identification Using eDNA and Overview of a Statewide HABs Response Strategy Facilitator: Christopher Main, DNREC (christopher.main@delaware.gov); Vic Poretti (victor.poretti@dep.nj.gov), Robert Schuster (robert.schuster@dep.nj.gov), Leah Gibala-Smith (leah.gibala-smith@dep.nj.gov), and Deidre Supple (deidre.supple@dep.nj.gov), NJDEP Dr. Christopher Main from Delaware DNREC will cover the identification of HABs using eDNA while Bob Schuster and Vic Poretti will present details of NJDEP’s marine and freshwater Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Response Strategies. Understanding freshwater Harmful Cyanobacteria Algal Blooms (HABs), their risks to human health, how to respond and monitor HABs, and proper response actions to protect human health during recreational activities. The session will include NJDEP’s monitoring, analysis, and communication protocols as well as advanced technology being piloted. Email Jenna Krug at jenna.krug@dep.nj.gov with any questions.
4. An Introduction to Rendering Reports Using R Facilitator: Lou Reynolds, USEPA (reynolds.louis@epa.gov) This workshop will introduce the capabilities of R for publishing reports as html, pdf, and Word documents. The integration of data wrangling, analysis, visualization, and presentation is an important aspect of reproducible research. Written reports are an important, and many times, required way to present data. We will cover the basics and some more intermediate aspects of going from R code to documents – so it is helpful if you are familiar and comfortable with R. If you are already proficient and comfortable producing reports in R, this is not the course for you. It is important to have R, and R Studio, already installed on your computer. Questions about the course are welcome.
