The Texas Waters Webinar will be held Tuesday, May 21, 2019, from 6:30pm-7:30pm.  Archis Grubb will discuss how macroinvertebrates play an important role in the stream ecosystem as a part of the food web for fish, amphibians, birds, and reptiles.  Macroinvertebrates are considered to be important biological indicators, providing clues to the health of a waterbody. This presentation will cover the habitat requirement, various feeding guilds, macroinvertebrates as bioindicators, and a current case study. The webinar relates to material in Chapter 1: Texas Aquatic Habitats and the Species They Support and Chapter 2: The Characteristics, Components, and Value of Healthy Watershed Ecosystems of the Texas Waters: Exploring Water and Watersheds curriculum.

If you would like to register to attend the live webinar, you can click here.

About the speaker:

Archis is an aquatic biologist by profession and has been with the River Studies Program, TPWD for the past 11 years.  He received a MS in Wildlife and Fisheries at Texas A&M, and a Ph.D. in Stream Ecology from Ohio State University.  His research interests are in the ecology and conservation biology of macroinvertebrates.  His current interest is in understanding the effects of natural and anthropogenic disturbances (flood, gravel removal, sewage discharge, etc) on macroinvertebrate communities, and their recolonization in rivers.  He is also involved in projects related to determining the water requirements (quantity and quality) of the flow-dependent fish species in Texas Rivers.

For more information, contact Melissa Alderson, Conservation Education Manager, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department HQ. [Office: (512) 389-8060; Cell: (512) 217-5366]