This year our lab team leveled up the way we collect benthic macroinvertebrates (BMI) in the field. They researched and added an anesthetic step to minimize the pain that these invertebrates feel, and then used the method in the field all summer at sites throughout the Northern Sierra. These small bugs are like a “canary in the coal mine” for creeks, and we collect them to learn about the health of the waterway.
In October, Mali Valerio and Jessica Herrmann presented their results at the California Aquatic Bioassessment Workgroup conference, and their talk was very well received by experts in the field. Staff and volunteers involved in the work also expressed their appreciation for the new method:
“Humane treatment of BMI is prioritized within the lab, fostering the idea that minimizing invertebrate pain is essential in the modernization of the scientific field.” – Laney Smith, SSI BMI Lab Technician
We couldn’t be more proud of our lab team, and happy that they took the initiative to make this happen!
