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Have your say on plankton populations in the Detroit River!
The Detroit River Canadian Cleanup (DRCC) is looking for input on their recommendation to change the status of the Degradation of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Populations beneficial use impairment from ‘requires further assessment’ to ‘not impaired’ for the Detroit River.
Plankton are small organisms that live in water and are grouped into three general categories: phytoplankton, zooplankton and microbes. Phytoplankton and zooplankton populations make up the base of the aquatic food web and are an important food source for fish. Plankton are very sensitive to changes in water quality and, as a result, can give clues about the overall health of an aquatic environment.
In the Detroit River, insufficient data on the status of the phytoplankton and zooplankton populations led to research studies, including a comprehensive study in 2019 by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Study results indicate that phytoplankton and zooplankton populations are naturally low in the Detroit River due to expected river conditions, not human activities. Therefore, there is no evidence of impairment to the plankton populations in the Detroit River and a “not impaired” status is being recommended by the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup.
To read the report and fact sheet (images below) and to comment, visit www.detroitriver.ca/buiassessments. We expect the comment form to take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. All comments received will be reviewed and addressed by the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup.
The deadline to submit comments is December 31, 2020.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact Jacqueline Serran at postmaster@detroitriver.ca or at 519-776-5209 ext. 356.
