Study Design: Planning New Projects for Different Types of Monitoring
Meiyin Wu, PhD Director, Passaic River Institute
Professor, Department of Biology
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
What Should We Study?
• What are other associations doing?
• That is cool!
• What does EPA/NJDEP recommend?
• Do we have enough volunteers to do it?
• Can we afford it?
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Goal Driven Study
• Identify study questions/problems
• What do you wish to know?
• What do you want to protect?
• Determine study goals/objectives
• What data do you need to answer your questions?
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Data Driven Study Design
In order to answer the question,
• What should samples be analyzed for?
• When should samples be collected?
• Where should samples be collected from?
• How many samples should be collected?
• What depth should samples be collected at?
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Data Driven Study Design
• Who will conduct the analysis?
• How should samples be collected?
• How should samples be preserved?
• What are your data quality objectives?
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Data Driven Study Design
• How to pay for it?
• Do you have a specific problem to clearly
communicate with stakeholders?
• How can cost savings be incorporated
into the sampling approach?
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
All Data for One Goal
• Understand the status and trend of your
ecosystem
• Determine whether or not restoration/
management will be needed
• Generate enough data to make data-driven
management decisions
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Study Site Selection
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Sampling locations: – Grid
– Transact – Random
– Area of concern
– Historical importance
Figure 1_Sampling point locations throughout Lake Hopatcong. Blue lines indicate the transects performed at Crescent Cove (CC), Liffy Island and North End of the lake (NE), Jefferson Canals (JC), Landing and State Park (SP). Brown stars indicate the Targeted points. Pink dots indicate the Grid points.
Figure 1_Sampling point locations throughout Lake Hopatcong. Blue lines indicate the transects performed at Crescent Cove (CC), Liffy Island and North End of the lake (NE), Jefferson Canals (JC), Landing and State Park (SP). Brown stars indicate the Targeted points. Pink dots indicate the Grid points.
Figure 1_Sampling point locations throughout Lake Hopatcong. Blue lines indicate the transects performed at Crescent Cove (CC), Liffy Island and North End of the lake (NE), Jefferson Canals (JC), Landing and State Park (SP). Brown stars indicate the Targeted points. Pink dots indicate the Grid points.
Study Site Selection
Site specific considerations:
– Adjacent to the point of discharge
– Topographically down gradient
– Sediment depositional area
– Locations of outlets/tributaries
– Under tidal influence?
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Study Site Selection
Consider target pollution migration pathways
– Groundwater transport (sand, clay, silt)
– Stormwater runoffs (topography, particle size)
– Man-made structures (ditches, dikes, canals)
– Food chain transfer
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Study Site Selection
• Understand characteristics of your target pollution
– Volatile?
– Sediment binding?
– Water soluble?
– Bioaccumulate?
– Biomagnify?
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Study Design & QAPP
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Align work plan and sampling/analysis plan with quality assurance project plan (QAPP).
If use a lab, • Understand the lab’s QC processes
• Make sure the lab understand your QC goals • Expect differences in laboratory practices and
accuracy. Clearly document the changes while switching labs.
Study Design & QAPP
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Specify: – Equipment to be used
– Equipment calibration
– Field duplicates
– Number of blanks, QC samples, replicates, check standards, detection limits, and reference materials.
– Sample management (field and lab chain of custody,
sample shelf life and preservation, etc.)
– Data acceptance criteria (>90% completeness)
– Data QC and management
Data Analysis • Sample along gradients
– Topographic gradient (i.e. along a river)
– Gradient of anthropogenic influence
– Bedrock/sediment grain size gradient
• What to compare with? – Control sites
– Reference locations
– True natural background
– Use your professional judgment
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Figure 2: Detail of one of the shallow sampling points along the shoreline of Lake Hopatcong
What happen when something goes wrong?
• Prepare for the worst
• Have a contingency plan
• Collect additional samples
• Reconnaissance to make sure sampling plan will work
• Identify access points
• Identify potential health and safety hazards
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
What happen when something goes wrong?
• Perform a dry run
• Do field verification within short time frame of actual sampling – Climate/weather (rain and drought)
– Access location during/after a flood
– Tidal cycles
– Wind patterns
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Data Driven Management Decision
• Use all available data
• Desktop vs. laboratory vs. field
• Statistical consideration
– Hypothesis testing
– Sample size
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Data Driven Management Decision
• How well did the sample represent the conditions?
• Clearly document and use field notes in the evaluation
• Consider strengths and weaknesses of various pieces of
information
• Include both qualitative and quantitative aspects
• Make a decision among competing alternatives
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Restore or Not?
• Cost Benefit Analysis
• Does the pollution affect the health of the aquatic
community?
– Example: Is there a difference in benthic community compared to
upstream locations?
– Example: Is toxicity observed in biota?
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
You are not alone!
• Agencies are available to provide guidance
• Equipment loan programs
• Universities can serve as resources
Passaic River Institute [email protected] 973-655-5423
Meiyin Wu Director, Passaic River Institute
Montclair State University
973-655-7117