What steps are required for developing a successful biological monitoring and assessment program?

The development of an effective biological monitoring and assessment program for the protection of aquatic ecosystems
involves a series of steps outlined below and in the decision tree:

    1. Define the primary management aims, including the level of protection desired by the community and
        other stakeholders; define the management goals for achieving protection of the ecosystem,
        and the environmental concerns.
    2. Together with a balance of phyical and chemical indicators to address the problems, identify the
        biological assessment objectives for protection of the water resource.
    3. Select appropriate indicators and protocols to apply to the assessment objectives.
    4. Select the appropriate experimental design to apply to the indicator.
    5. Determine key decision criteria, i.e. acceptable level of change and statistical
        sensitivity with which to detect such change.
    6. Assess results from monitoring programs, with feedback to management.
    
One of the key issues is to identify the assessment objectives for protection of the water resource.
The objectives will help managers select the most appropriate biological indicators and protocols that apply for their use.

   # Determine the Assessment Objective and Suite of
   Indicator Types appropriate for the Assessment

          Broad-scale Assessment

              Early Detection

   Broad-scale assessment of ecosystem
   health (at catchment, regional or
   larger scales) are required to provide
   quick and cost-effective 'health'
   assessments over large areas. Rapid
   biological methods have and are being
   developed to provide qualitative
   information adequate for first-pass
   assessments to identify more specific
   data needs.
   For example how can we quickly assess
   whether we have a problem and its
   distribution and severity.

    Early detection of short- or
    longer-term changes enhances
    the options for management.
    Prediction and early detection
    of possible effects are useful
    so that substantial and
    ecologically important
    disturbances can be avoided. 
    For example providing an
    early warning system to detect
    change or trends so that action
    can be taken to prevent
    damage

    To determine effects upon the ecosystem
    as a whole and as important end-points
    in themselves, quatitative measures of
    biodiversity, including ecosystem
    processes and the conservation status
    of sites, should be key responses
    sought-after in monitoring programs.
    Biodiversity and conservation status
    are best measured using species-level data.
    For example how can we assess the
    ecological importance or the severity
    of impact in a quatitative way between
    varioius sites and regiona.

    Select Appropriate Design and Analysis
                 ( See Vol 1 3.2-10 )

    Select Indicators and Protocol
  ( See Vol 1 pages 3.2-6 & 3.2-10 )

    Interpret Results, assess which Water
    Quality Objectives are being achieved
        ( See Vol 1 page 3.2-17 )

  Determine Management Decision Criteria
             ( See Vol 1 page 3.2-13 )

  Low Risk of Damage
  or Impairment of Use

  High Risk of Damage
  or Impairment of Use