Monitoring of inland waters - phytoplankton

Biotechnological Hub of the NIB (BTH-NIB)

The purpose of the investment project BTH-NIB is the assurance of the appropriate infrastructural conditions for the use of research and developmental opportunities in the fields of operation of the NIB.

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Monitoring of inland waters - phytoplankton

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NIB has the public authorization of the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning (valid until 2017) for the implementation of the National Water Quality Monitoring, for the biological element phytoplankton, which is an important element in determining the ecological status of lakes and reservoirs.

Phytoplankton communities are sensitive to changes in their environment and therefore their total biomass and many phytoplankton species are used as indicators of water quality (eg. Olrik, 1994; Reynolds et al., 2002; Brettum and Andersen, 2005). General standard for counting phytoplankton species was published only in 2006 (EN 15 402 2006). Implementation of the Water Framework Directive (EU, 2000) provides frequent monitoring of phytoplankton and comparable results (eg. use the same methods for counting and harmonize the identification of species), at least among the members of the same Geographical Intercalibration Group. Currently, the determination of phytoplankton species with the microscope is still the only method that gives us high quality reliable taxonomic elements, including the indicator species.

We have a certificate "External Quality Assessment Trials in phytoplankton" (EQAT) obtained every two years from "Landestalsperrenverwaltung des Freistaates Sachsen" (LTV) and The "Arbeitsgemeinschaft Trinkwassertalsperren eV" (ATT).