What is an aquatic macroinvertebrate?
Aquatic + Macro + Invertebrate = Aquatic Macroinvertebrate
Aquatic is another word for water. The macroinvertebrates in this section are the ones that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water. Macro means they are big enough to see with your eyes, and an invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. Some are soft and squishy, some have a hard skeleton on the outside of their body and others live in shells!
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Aquatic macroinvertebrates range from insects and crustaceans to molluscs and worms, and are a vital part of the food chain in aquatic and terrestrial environments. They help to break down leaves, bark and twigs that fall into the water, and can even change their environments by moving soil, sand or pebbles around. Scientists can use the number and types of aquatic macroinvertebrates in a waterway to determine how healthy it is.