RELEASE-2023

Periphyton and phytoplankton samples are collected three times per year at wadeable stream, river, and lake sites during aquatic biology bout windows, roughly in spring, summer, and fall. Samples are collected using the most appropriate sampler for the habitat and substratum type, including rock scrubs, grab samples, and epiphyton. In wadeable streams, periphyton samples are collected in the two most dominant benthic habitat types (e.g. riffles, runs, pools, step pools). In lakes, water-column phytoplankton samples are collected near the buoy and littoral sensors using a Kemmerer sampler, and in littoral areas using the best benthic sampling method for the substratum type. In rivers, phytoplankton samples are collected near the buoy and two other deep-water locations using a Kemmerer or Van Dorn sampler, and in littoral areas using the most benthic sampling method for the substratum type. All field-collected samples are split into subsamples in the domain support facility, which are either processed in the facility (ash-free dry mass) or preserved and shipped to a contracting taxonomy laboratory. Diatoms and soft algae are identified and enumerated at the external taxonomy lab. Reference images are also collected. Slides and preserved subsamples are archived at the NEON Biorepository after analysis. Instrumentation: