Aquatic invertebrates are excellent indicators of watershed health because they:

• 1. Live in the water for all or most of their life and often live for more than one year
• 2. Stay in areas suitable for their survival
• 3. Are easy to collect and identify
• 4. Differ in their tolerance to amount and types of pollution
• 5. Are important components of a stream′s nutrient and energy system

To learn more: Click Here

The above site includes identification keys that Envirothon teams should review.
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