Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Benthic Macroinvertebrate?
What is Earth Share NJ?
What is a Benthic Macroinvertebrate?
Benthic macroinvertebrates are animals that live on the bottom of streams,
rivers, and lakes.
The word "benthic" means bottom-dwelling and, in this case,
refers to any organism that spends its life or part of its life living,
swimming, crawling, or attached to the bottom substrate of a water body.
The term "macroinvertebrate" refers to those animals, that do not have backbones,
that can be seen without the use of magnifying equipment.
Examples of macroinvertebrates include: crayfish, leeches, mayfly larvae,
stonefly larvae, and dragonfly larvae.
The presence of certain benthic macroinvertebrates helps scientists to determine
the quality of water in a river or stream.
What is Earth Share NJ?
Earth Share NJ is a coalition of leading environmental
organizations working to promote human health and welfare through environmental
management, conservation, advocacy, research, education, and grassroots organizing
in New Jersey.
For additional information, visit the Earth Share of New Jersey web site
at http://www.earthsharenj.org.
