Biological Monitoring:
Means of detecting changes in the environment include biomonitors, biomarkers, and biosensors. Biomonitors are whole organisms that respond to changes in the enviroment with a few easily detectible internal changes. A biomarker is a subsystem of an organism that undergoes a specific change due to environmental changes. Biosensors consist of a biological detection/response system that shows up in a chemical or physical change. These methods of monitoring can be really useful. Because they often do not involve sophisticated and complicated technology, they are usually low cost (Butterworth, Gunatilaka, & Gonseblatt 2001).
Some exaples where biomonitoring is used include biological early warning systems, which detect toxic conditions based on an organism that will exhibit a behavior when toxins are present. Recombination and recombinogen detection, which involves the genetics of species in a particular environment, is also used. Sentinel monitoring involves using biological systems already present in the environment (Butterworth, Gunatilaka, and Gonseblatt 2001).
Biological early warning systems can employ fish, bivalves, invertebrates, algae, and bacteria. Multi-species designs are also used. These systems give rapid warnings about the presence of deadly concentrations of toxins in the environment. There is no qualitative or quantitative data, but they operate continuously, respond rapidly, and have a large detection range. If hard data is required, chemical sensors can be used in combination with the bio sensors. These sensors respond to pollutants, temperature changes, conductivity, and foreign particles in the environment (Butterworth, Gunatilaka, & Gonseblatt 2001).
Bivalves are good biological early warning systems. Under stress, they close their shells. Blue mussels and oysters are good BEWS in marine environments. However, interference from adaptation, light, temperature, vibration, diurnal variation, suspended particles, and the food supply will mess up the data. Several systems using bivalves have been tested and are in place (Butterworth, Gunatilaka, & Gonseblatt 2001).
Aquatic plants are also good biomonitors. They are more sensitive than animals, so they give feedback more quickly. Also, they are sessile, so there are no issues with sensors roving and being lost. Using plants also gives you information about the ocean floor as well as the water, because the roots take in nutrients from the sediment in the ocean floor. Shoot production, plant biomass, and leaf-to-root surface area ratio are all characteristics used in using plants as biomonitors (Butterworth, Gunatilaka, & Gonseblatt 2001).
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