Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2008HI228B

Determination of the Relationship between Biodiversity and Trophic Status of Wahiawa Reservoir

Institute: Hawaii
Year Established: 2008 Start Date: 2008-03-01 End Date: 2009-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $16,856 Total Non-Federal Funds: $42,055

Principal Investigators: Tao Yan, Clark Liu

Project Summary: Nutrient enrichment in the nations rivers and lakes has been a complex and changing phenomenon. To accurately and timely assess trophic status is critical for efficient and sound regulatory and cost-effective remediation actions. Traditional trophic assessment methodologies do not address the interactions between abiotic and biotic factors. The objective of this proposed research is to investigate if microeukaryotic and prokaryotic biodiversities can be used as trophic indicators that provide more reliable assessment. Furthermore, because changes in biodiversity directly reflect the interactions between abiotic and biotic factors, it may also be used for trophic trend prediction and early detection. The Wahiawa Reservoir, a multi-functional water resource on the island of Oahu, is the subject of this study that involves both laboratory work and field investigation.