ASTM_D_4149_-_82_2012.pdf

Designation:D414982(Reapproved 2012)Standard Classification forSampling Phytoplankton in Surface Waters1This standard is issued under the fixed designation D4149;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This classification covers both qualitative and quantita-tive techniques that are used commonly for the collection ofphytoplankton.The particular techniques that are used duringan investigation are dependent upon the study objectives.Ofadditional importance in the selection of a technique is theuneven distribution of organisms both temporally and spa-cially.This classification describes qualitative and quantitativeways of collecting phytoplankton from inland surface waters.Specifically,qualitative samplers include conical tow nets andpumps;quantitative samplers include the Clarke-Bumpusplankton sampler,Juday plankton trap,water sampling bottles,and depth-integrating samplers.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:D1129 Terminology Relating to Water23.Terminology3.1 Definitions:3.1.1 For definitions of terms used in this method refer toTerminology D1129.3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:3.2.1 phytoplanktonis the community of suspended orfloating,mostly microscopic plants that drift passively withwater currents.Frequently,phytoplankton are differentiated onthe basis of size.The generally accepted size ranges,ascommonly used are(1):3Macroplankton500 mMicroplankton(net plankton)10 to 500 mNannoplankton10 to 50 mUltraplankton10 m4.Significance and Use4.1 Because of the direct association of phytoplankton withthe water and the water masses that move in response towind-or-gravity-generated currents,the species compositionand abundance of phytoplankton are related to water quality.Moreover,the phytoplankton directly affect water quality,notably dissolved oxygen,pH,concentrations of certainsolutes,and optical properties.At times the abundance orpresence of particular species of algae result in nuisanceconditions(2).4.2 Organisms of the phytoplankton communities are col-lected and studied for many reasons,and the techniques usedwill vary with the study objectives.In the design of a samplingprogram and in the selection of techniques,the investigatormust take into consideration the uniqueness of each study areaand the natural characteristics of phytoplankton communities.4.3 The principal factors to consider when collecting phy-toplankton are the uneven distribution,composition,and abun-dance of phytoplankton in space and time.Phytoplanktonblooms can occur quickly and can be of short duration.Succession of taxa can occur in a matter of 1 to 2 weeks.Furthermore,phytoplankton abundance and composition canchange abruptly in the horizontal plane.There also can beremarkable numerical and qualitative differences betweendepths.The heterogeneous abundance and composition canoccur not only over small areas but also over large areas.Theuneven distribution makes it difficult to collect a representativesample from a given area and makes replication of samplesand,especially,an adequate vertical and horizontal samplingprogram essential(3).5.Basis of Classification5.1 Qualitative samplers include the conical tow nets andpumps.Quantitative samplers include the Clarke-Bumpusplankton sampler,Juday plankton trap,water-sampling bottles,and depth-integrating samplers.5.2 Conical Tow NetsMost qualitative samplers are cone-shaped nets constructed of silk bolting cloth or a syntheticmaterial such as nylon.Nets should not be used for quantitative1This classification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D19 on Waterand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D19.24 on Water Microbiology.Current edition approved Sept.1,2012.Published November 2012.Originallyapproved in 1982.Last previous edition approved in 2004 as D4149 82(2004).DOI:10.1520/D4149-82R12.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the references at the end of thisclassification.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 studies because they do not retain all the phytoplankton taxa;for example,nannoplankton and ultraplankton generally willpass through a net.Even so,nets are valuable collecting toolsand excellent for many types of studies.5.3 PumpsPumping systems of various kinds have beenused to collect qualitative or semiquantitative samples ofphytoplankton.Several papers summarizing these techniqueshave been published in the literature(4,5,6).Although avariety of pump apparatus have been used,th