Bioassessment Training, Evaluation and Quality Assurance

UPCOMING STREAM BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT METHODS TRAINING

The Aquatic Ecology and Quality Assurance Section will provide a Bioassessment Methods Training at the Bear Creek Education Center on Thursday, October 12th, 2023. Use this link for more information and to register.

LVI TEAM TESTING FOR 2023

NEW! 2023 Team Proficiency Testing for the LVI will be conducted June 1-June 30, 2023 at the lakes specified below. PLEASE CHECK THE INFORMATION CAREFULLY.  For those organizations that wish to submit LVI data to DEP, each LVI sampling team must conduct the testing at one of the lakes below between June 1^st and June 30^th, 2023. Each team participating in testing must have at least one team member in pass status for the online plant ID test (must be taken each year).  Contact Ashley O’Neal at Ashley.ONeal@FloridaDEP.gov to take the plant ID test.  

Otter Lake, Wakulla County (boat ramp coordinates: 30.02384516, -84.41745328), Otter Lake LVI Sampling Map

Lake Bryant, Marion County (boat ramp coordinates: 29.13820490, -81.84643164; note the boat ramp is on a canal on the SE corner of the lake), Lake Bryant LVI Sampling Map

Lake Annie, Polk County (Lake Annie boat ramp coordinates: 27.99902953, -81.60743898), Lake Annie LVI Sampling Map

For additional information on each lake’s boat ramps (search by county or lake name): Florida Boat Ramp Finder (floridamarine.org)

To determine proficiency, a sampling team must conduct the LVI per SOP LVI 1000, calculate the final LVI score per LVI 2200, and submit results by July 14, 2023, to Ashley O’Neal at Ashley.ONeal@FloridaDEP.gov

Submit the following information:

• name of organization
• name of samplers performing the exercise
• sampling date
• final LVI score (calculated per LVI 2200)
• taxa lists for each sampling section
• and *NEW* for this year, completed Lake Observation Sheet ( Form FD 9000-31) (NOTE: you do not need to calculate the LDI or take meter measurements for this form; we are interested in the observations. The information on the form will be for informational purposes only, and not part of the scoring of the exercise.)  

The consensus score for each lake will be determined as the median score from all teams in pass status from the testing in 2021. All teams that score within +/- 12 points of the median score will be in pass status for 2023.

DEP Stream Biological Assessment Methods

• Stream Condition Index
• Stream and River Habitat Assessment
• BioRecon
• Rapid Periphyton Survey
• Linear Vegetation Survey

DEP Lake Biological Assessment Methods

• Lake Vegetation Index

Stream Condition Index

This method is a composite macroinvertebrate index for use in flowing streams. 

Training Resources:

• Follow DEP SOP SCI 1000 (effective 4/16/18, dated January 2017)
• Sampling and Use of the Stream Condition Index for Assessing Flowing Waters: A Primer (PDF, 2011)
• SCI Training Presentation (PDF, 2018)
• SCI Training Checklist and Event Log (FD 9000-35)
• Supplemental Video of Stream Condition Index and Habitat Assessment Techniques (28 min, 2020)

Summary of steps required to demonstrate SCI proficiency:

• Attend a DEP biological assessment training class or event. Classes are typically held twice a year: once in North Florida and once in Central Florida. Training classes are announced through the Quality of Science eNewsletter.
• Complete 9 SCI training events with one or more trainers who are in Pass status for the SCI. The Trainer will observe and critique the trainee's sampling technique. Document events on the Training Checklist and Event Log (FD 9000-35). 
• An Evaluator will conduct an evaluation (mock audit) for the trainee (10^th training event), to ensure the Trainee understands and is proficient in the items on the checklist. Complete the Evaluator section of the Training Checklist and Event Log.
• The audit candidate must attain a score of 90% on the online test and successfully complete a field audit with a DEP auditor.

Proficiency Demonstration:

Anyone submitting data to DEP must attain a score of 90% on the online test, pass an initial demonstration of proficiency (SCI field audit), and a pass a refresher audit every 5 years thereafter. 

Contact Ashley O'Neal to schedule an initial or refresher SCI audit, including the online SCI test. 

Overall habitat quality is determined by measuring eight attributes known to have potential effects on the stream biota. The method involves a mapping exercise and conducting a series of observations as specified in the Physical/Chemical characterization SOP (DEP SOP FT 3001). 

Training Resources:

• Follow DEP SOP FT 3000 (effective 4/16/18, dated January 2017)
• Habitat Assessment Training Presentation (PDF, 2018)
• Stream and Habitat Assessment Training Checklist and Event Log (FD 9000-34)
• Supplemental Video of Stream Condition Index and Habitat Assessment Techniques (28 min, 2020)

Proficiency Demonstration:

Anyone submitting data to DEP must pass 3 out of 5 Habitat Assessment proficiency testing sites every two years, ideally under similar hydrologic conditions as those present during the establishment of testing sites. Hydrographs are provided for each set of sites to aid in this determination. Analysts must be within +/- 10 points of the overall consensus score for each testing site.

All analysts should test at the sites established in 2021. 

2021 Site Information:  Northern Sites, Central Sites, Southern Sites

Contact Joy Jackson to submit your Habitat Assessment field sheets and testing scores.

Lake Vegetation Index

A rapid field method developed to assess how similar a lake plant community is to a minimally disturbed community.

Training Resources:

• Follow DEP SOP LVI 1000 (effective 4/16/18, dated January 2017)
• Sampling and Use of the Lake Vegetation Index (LVI) for Assessing Lake Plant Communities in Florida: A Primer (10/24/2011)
• The Lake Vegetation Index (LVI) Sampling Method Webinar - (PDF, 2019)
• Lake Vegetation Index (LVI) Sampling Method Webinar (11 min, 2020) - This video includes video clips and animations that are not available in the PDF version; but please note there is no audio with this presentation.

LVI Calculator:

LVIs are calculated per DEP SOP LVI 2200 (effective 4/16/18).  A new LVI Calculator is available for download and use to calculate Lake Vegetation Index scores. Users should review “2022 Instructions for use of 2022 LVI Calculator” before using (Note: You must enable macros to use this calculator.) The 2022 calculator should be used in place of the previous calculator. Please contact Ashley O'Neal if you encounter any errors with the new calculator. 

• *NEW* 2022 LVI Calculator 
• *NEW* 2022 Instructions for use of 2022 LVI Calculator

Proficiency Demonstration:

Anyone submitting LVI data to DEP must pass the LVI team proficiency testing offered every two years. In addition, at least one member of each LVI sampling team must pass the online test of common lake plants annually.

Contact Ashley O’Neal to take the online plant test.

For information about the most recent LVI Team Proficiency Exercise (2021), see Lake Vegetation Index 2021 Team Proficiency Report (PDF, 2021). For the current LVI Team Proficiency instructions (2023), please see the information at the top of the page.

Additional Resources

• Stream Ecology, Module 1 (9 min, 2018)
• Biological Assessment Training Requirements - DEP Bioassessment Training and Testing Guidelines: Rivers and Streams
• Bioassessment Testing Registry - Searchable query for individuals who have completed a sampling audit to support either SCI or BioRecon sampling events.
• DEP Field SOPs
• Field Sampling Forms
• Quality of Science eNewsletter – Register for this eNewsletter to receive announcements from DEP about training or testing opportunities.