Macro-invertebrate colonization of manmade litter in aquatic ecosystems.

Abstract

The purpose of our study was to determine if aquatic macro-invertebrates prefer to colonized any of three types of manmade litter. We wanted to know if macro-invertebrate species showed any preference settling on aluminum, glass, and plastic containers commonly found in aquatic ecosystems. We also looked at two rock substrates, natural bio-film and bio-film removed, for a natural substrate comparison. We placed three containers of each material and one of each rock at three different sites along the Maple River in Cheboygan County, Michigan. Our experiment was divided into three five-day intervals during which we removed substrates and measured the abundance and type of organisms that had settled on them. There was not a consistent significant difference in organism abundance or species richness to conclude that anthropogenic material has a greater impact on macro-invertebrate substrate colonization.