Maine Department of Environmental Protection Logo

 Maine Department of Environmental Protection
 Biological Monitoring Program
 Stream Algae Report

Site Information
Name: Tobey Brook - Station 424 Sampled by: Biomonitoring Unit
Town: Fairfield Method: Periphytometer
Biomonitoring Basin Kennebec Sample ID: SA-424-2001P (50)
Sample Date: 2001-07-09 Taxonomist: Michigan State University
Location: West End Of Pasture (Dwnstream Of Station 423)
Sample comments:
Latitude: 44.61077325
Longitude: -69.64636481

Three figures from left to right: On the far left, an outline of the state of Maine with the site location marked in blue. In the middle, a satellite image view of the area of the site, with waterbodies marked in blue, and the site marked in red, with a scale bar and north arrow. On the right, a downstream image of the sample site.

Model Results and Variable Plots

 Blue = this sample. Boxplots = range of all samples. Grey shaded areas = 90th and/or 10th percentile of reference site values.

Statutory Class = B
Final Determination =
Attains Class =
Reason =
Model Result =
Prob. Class A =
Prob. Class B =
Prob. Class C =
Prob. NA =

Boxplots of stream algae model metrics, including range of values from all samples, from reference sites, and this specific sample. Stream algae model metrics are in a table below.

Additional Variable Plots

 Blue = this sample. Boxplots = range of all samples. Grey shaded areas = 90th and/or 10th percentile of reference site values.

Boxplots of additional stream algae metrics, including range of values from all samples, from reference sites, and this specific sample. Additional stream algae metrics are in a table below.

Model Variables Table
Variable Sample value All data median All data 10th percentile All data 90th percentile Reference range lower limit Reference range upper limit Reference range description
Salt-tolerant diatom percent abundance 12.57 0.90 0.00 9.15 0.00 1.08 <90th percentile
Nutrient-tolerant diatom richness 25.00 8.00 3.00 17.00 0.00 8.00 <90th percentile
Intermediate diatom richness 21.00 19.00 11.00 28.80 9.00 25.30 10th to 90th percentile
Intolerant algae percent species 10.87 18.75 3.70 42.27 22.12 72.41 >10th percentile
Motile diatom percent abundance 35.64 8.49 1.55 31.56 0.00 11.59 <90th percentile
Tolerant algae percent abundance 6.37 1.19 0.00 17.43 0.00 1.05 <90th percentile
Additional Variables Table
Variable Sample value All data median All data 10th percentile All data 90th percentile Reference range lower limit Reference range upper limit Reference range description
Tolerance Index (all algae) 44.30 42.67 37.09 49.07 0.00 42.34 <90th percentile
Nitrogen Index (all algae) 47.81 38.64 26.81 51.56 0.00 35.58 <90th percentile
Phosphorus Index (all algae) 74.43 58.62 38.59 76.56 0.00 53.06 <90th percentile
Intolerant algae percent species 5.00 6.00 1.00 14.00 5.00 23.00 >10th percentile
Intolerant algae richness 23.53 6.25 0.00 16.00 0.00 7.14 <90th percentile
Salt-tolerant diatom percent richness 90.78 89.95 61.14 98.30 45.42 97.96 10th to 90th percentile
Tolerant algae percent richness 43.48 16.67 0.00 41.38 0.00 14.29 <90th percentile
Nutrient- tolerant diatom percent abundance 81.04 42.06 7.59 84.31 0.00 48.33 <90th percentile
Stream Characteristics and Water Chemistry Plots

 Blue = this sample. Boxplots = range of all samples. Grey shaded areas = 10th to 90th percentile of reference site values

Wetted width = 3 m
Depth = 60 cm
Riffle = 0 %
Run = 0 %
Pool = 100 %
Bedrock = 0 %
Boulder = 0 %
Cobble = 0 %
Gravel = 0 %
Sand = 0 %
Silt = 100 %
Clay = 0 %
Boxplots of stream water chemistry. Values are in a table below.
Water Chemistry Table
Parameter Sample Date Sample value All data median All data 10th percentile All data 90th percentile Reference 10th percentile Reference 90th percentile Units
Specific Conductance 2001-07-09 400 88.55 25.00 492.00 15.41 67.31 Microsiemens Per Centimeter
Nitrate + Nitrite As Nitrogen 2001-07-09 0.02 0.08 0.02 0.61 0.01 0.09 Milligrams Per Liter
Orthophosphate As Phosphorus 2001-07-09 19 2.00 1.00 11.00 1.00 3.00 Micrograms Per Liter
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen 2001-07-09 0.9 0.40 0.20 0.60 0.10 0.50 Milligrams Per Liter
Total Phosphorus 2001-07-09 150 18.00 7.00 48.00 4.00 18.00 Micrograms Per Liter
Viewing Bucket

No viewing bucket data available

Barplot of viewing bucket substrate cover types, available in table on the right.

Land Use
Land Cover Data Source: MELCD 2004
Watershed Area (sq km): 10.4
Impervious Cover %: 5
Land Use Table
Cover Type Percent Category
Highly Urban 0.86 Developed
Urban 1.54 Developed
Residential 4.58 Developed
Wetland 6.39 Natural
Forest 60.23 Natural
Grass 17.31 Agriculture
Tilled 8.02 Agriculture

Barplots of landcover data from watershed upstream of sample location. Percentages are available in a table on the right

Site Information
Name: Tobey Brook - Station 424 Sampled by: Biomonitoring Unit
Town: Fairfield Method: Periphytometer
Biomonitoring Basin Kennebec Sample ID: SA-424-2001P (50)
Sample Date: 2001-07-09 Taxonomist: Michigan State University
Taxa List (See key at end of report)

 Tolerance values color coding: Blue for sensitive, <32.20. Purple for intermediate, >=32.20 and <60. Red for tolerant, >=60.

Name Group RA RB Oxy Sap Sal Tr Mot GF Tol TN TP
Spirogyra Filamentous Green 0.712 0.961 42.6 28 41
Oedogonium Filamentous Green 0.093 0.004 37.6 27 47
Planothidium rostratum Pennate Diatom 0.021 0.001 3 3 2 5 V P 56.6 48 96
Mougeotia 5-75m Filamentous Green 0.021 0.011 26.9 10 12
Cocconeis placentula var. euglypta Pennate Diatom 0.018 0.001 3 2 2 5 N P 58.2 45 81
Navicula capitatoradiata Pennate Diatom 0.014 0.002 3 3 2 5 M P 68.5 62 78
Gomphonema parvulum Pennate Diatom 0.011 0.001 4 4 2 5 N S 42.2 21
Planothidium frequentissimum Pennate Diatom 0.008 0.000 3 4 2 V P 65.1 69 92
Melosira varians Centric Diatom 0.008 0.002 3 3 2 5 N U 67 67 89
Gomphonema pumilum Pennate Diatom 0.007 0.000 2 7 N S 43.6 14 21
Navicula gregaria Pennate Diatom 0.006 0.000 4 3 3 5 M P 79.6 66 89
Achnanthidium minutissimum Pennate Diatom 0.006 0.000 1 2 2 7 N P 41.2
Navicula cryptocephala Pennate Diatom 0.006 0.000 3 3 2 7 M P 56.3 55 80
Nitzschia palea Pennate Diatom 0.005 0.000 4 5 2 6 H P 60.3 67 89
Staurosira construens var. venter Pennate Diatom 0.005 0.000 1 2 2 4 N V 41.3 35 67
Nitzschia palea var. debilis Pennate Diatom 0.005 0.000 1 1 1 H P 53.4 47 79
Navicula lanceolata Pennate Diatom 0.004 0.002 3 3 3 5 M P 77.5 75 98
Fragilaria vaucheriae Pennate Diatom 0.004 0.000 3 3 2 5 N V 44.2 36
Navicula rostellata Pennate Diatom 0.003 0.001 2 2 2 5 M P 66.1 48 92
Cymbella tumida Pennate Diatom 0.003 0.003 1 1 2 4 V S 57.8 48 78
Surirella brebissonii Pennate Diatom 0.003 0.001 3 H P 100 50 80
Gomphonema gracile Pennate Diatom 0.003 0.000 1 1 2 3 N S 21.9 13 20
Fragilaria gracilis Pennate Diatom 0.003 0.000 1 1 2 2 N V 30.6 18 22
Amphora pediculus Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.000 2 2 2 5 M P 76.2 71 93
Nitzschia capitellata Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.000 5 4 6 H P 75.7 49 76
Encyonema minutum Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.000 2 V S 50.2 21
Nitzschia recta Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.000 2 2 2 7 H P 46.6 43 73
Hippodonta capitata Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.000 3 3 2 4 M P 66.8 61 89
Cyclotella meneghiniana Centric Diatom 0.002 0.000 5 4 3 5 N U 72.6 55 73
Gomphonema angustatum Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.000 1 1 2 1 N S 58 50 84
Meridion circulare Pennate Diatom 0.002 0.000 2 2 2 7 N E 46.5 64 87
Rhoicosphenia abbreviata Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.000 2 2 2 5 V S 83.4 72 96
Nitzschia subtilis Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.001 2 H P NA 29 61
Cymbella cistula Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.003 2 2 2 5 V S 23.7
Navicula trivialis Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.000 3 3 3 5 M P 78.6 68 98
Nitzschia agnita Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.000 4 H P NA
Skeletonema subsalsum Centric Diatom 0.001 N U NA
Cosmarium galeritum Desmid 0.001 NA 18 15
Luticola mutica Pennate Diatom 0.001 0.000 1 3 3 5 M P 62.2 59 95
Navicula veneta Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 4 4 3 5 M P 79.7 51 62
Surirella amphioxys Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 4 5 H P 61.5 52 94
Fragilaria sepes Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 1 1 2 N V 32.1 18 39
Hantzschia amphioxys Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 3 2 7 H P NA 51 94
Surirella minuta Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 3 3 2 5 H P 79.7 69 95
Amphora copulata Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 2 2 5 M P 53.5 48 73
Cymbella affinis Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 2 2 5 V S 36.4 36 39
Tryblionella levidensis Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 3 3 3 5 H P NA
Halamphora montana Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 2 2 5 M P NA
Nitzschia dissipata Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 2 2 4 H P 60.9 48 75
Navicula praeterita Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 M P NA
Ulnaria ulna Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.001 3 4 2 N E 34.2 17 21
Staurosirella pinnata Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 2 2 7 N V 44.2 38 56
Diadesmis contenta Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 2 2 7 M P NA
Psammodictyon constrictum Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 3 3 4 5 H P NA
Nitzschia lacuum Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 1 1 2 3 H P 64
Gomphonema sarcophagus Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 2 3 N S NA
Gomphonema truncatum Pennate Diatom 0.000 0.000 2 2 2 4 N S 36.5 47 44

Taxa List Key
Column Name Description
RA Relative Abundance number of cells (density of cells per square centimeter) in a sample / total abundance of all taxa
RB Relative Biovolume Volume of a taxon’s cells in a sample / volume of all algae cells in a sample
Oxy van Dam Oxygen tolerance 1=100% DO saturation, 2=>75% DO saturation, 3=>50% DO saturation, 4=>30% DO saturation, 5=<30% DO saturation
Sap van Dam Saprobic value Saprobic values relate to the amount of organic pollution, biological oxygen demand, and DO concentrations. Values range from 1 (intolerant of organic pollution) to 5 (highly tolerant of organic pollution)
Sal van Dam Salinity value 1=freshwater (<100 mg/L chloride) , 2=fresh-brackish (<500 mg/L), 3=brackish-freshwater (500-1000 mg/L), 4=brackish (1000-5000 mg/L)
Tr van Dam Trophic value 1=oligotraphentic, 2=oligo-mesotraphentic, 3=mesotraphentic, 4=meso-eutraphentic, 5=eutraphentic, 6=hypereutraphentic, 7=indifferent to trophic state
Mot Motility of Diatoms Motility (capability of movement in water or on substrates) based on genus (Wang et al. 2005): N= not motile, M = motile , H = highly motile, V=variable within genus
GF Growth Forms E= erect, P=prostrate, S=stalked, U=unattached, V=variable (based on communication with R. Jan Stevenson)
Tol Tolerance value Tolerance to a combination of watershed disturbance, conductivity, and nutrient enrichment (based on Maine data). Value range from 1=most senstive to 100=most tolerant.
TN TN value Preference for total nitrogen (TN) based on Maine data. Values range from 1=low TN concentrations to 100=high TN concentrations.
TP TP value Preference for total phosphorus (TP) based on Maine data. Values range from 1=low TP concentrations to 100=high TP concentrations.