Macroinvertebrates - ABR, Inc. Environmental Research and Services

Statement of Qualifications
Freshwater
Macroinvertebrates
Sample Processing • Identification • Analysis Services
Northeast Regional Office Corporate Headquarters Alaska Regional Office Pacific Northwest
15 Bank Row, Suite B P. O. Box 80410 P. O. Box 240268 P. O. Box 249
Greenfield, MA 01301 Fairbanks, AK 99708 Anchorage, AK 99524 Forest Grove, OR 97116
413-774-5515 907-455-6777 907-344-6777 503-359-7525
Contact: Mike Cole Contact: Steve Murphy Contact: Terry Schick Contact: Todd Mabee
mcole@abrinc.com smurphy@abrinc.com tschick@abrinc.com tmabee@abrinc.com
Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Services SOQ ~ May 2011 1
May 2011

Contents
Introduction ..........................................3
Staff Taxonomists .....................................4
Selected Client List ....................................5
Quality Assurance and Quality Control ................6
Representative Lab Project Profiles ...................7
Corporate Profile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Lab Services Pricing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
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May 2011 ~ Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Services SOQ

Freshwater Macroinvertebrate
Sample Processing and Taxonomy Services
ABR’s Aquatic Sciences program has performed macroinvertebrate field
assessments and provided laboratory sample processing and taxonomy
services for clients across the United States, including Alaska, for more
than a decade. ABR accepts samples from all freshwater habitats across
North America, and performs genus and species-level identification work
on all major freshwater macroinvertebrate taxonomic groups, including
Chironomidae and Oligochaeta. Our labs currently process approximately
1,000 benthic samples a year from across the United States.
Two macroinvertebrate labs, one in located in Greenfield, Massachusetts,
and one in Forest Grove, Oregon, provide full in-house taxonomic
services. Our laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art stereo- and
compound-microscopy equipment to serve all identification needs. All
identification work is performed by the aquatics program senior scientist
and taxonomist, Dr. Michael Cole, and by taxonomist, Ann Gregoire.
A trained and experienced staff of laboratory technicians assists with
field sampling and sample sorting, providing the capacity to routinely
process and perform taxonomic work on large (>100 samples) sets of
macroinvertebrate samples, while maintaining both high-quality work and
competitive pricing.
Services
• Design of bioassessment and biomonitoring studies
• Field sample collection
• Sample processing & taxonomic services (most groups
to genus/species)
• Data analysis (univariate, multimetric, multivariate,
& predictive modeling)
• Reporting and publishing
Please refer to ABR’s accompanying bioassessment services SOQ for
qualifications and experience relating to services that are not listed in bold.
Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Services SOQ ~ May 2011
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Staff Taxonomists
DR. MICHAEL COLE, PH.D. – SENIOR AQUATIC SCIENTIST AND
NABS-CERTIFIED TAXONOMIST
Experience: 18 years
Dr. Cole currently holds
five active taxonomic
NABS certifications and
is among the most highly
certified taxonomists in
the country
Based in our Greenfield, Massachusetts, laboratory, Dr. Cole has more
than 18 years of experience identifying aquatic macroinvertebrates from
across North America, with an emphasis on taxa of the eastern United
States and the Pacific Northwest. For the past 10 years, Dr. Cole has
performed taxonomic work as a consultant to clients in the government,
nonprofit, academic, and industry sectors. Dr. Cole is a certified
taxonomist by the North American Benthological Society (NABS) for
both eastern and western EPT and Chironomidae, and eastern general
arthropods. Dr. Cole has amassed a master voucher collection numbering
more than 4,600 aquatic invertebrate specimens in his years of taxonomic
work and regularly attends professional taxonomic workshops and
trainings. Dr. Cole is also a biological illustrator, whose work has appeared
in scientific journals.
ANN SCHROT GREGOIRE, M.S. – RESEARCH BIOLOGIST AND NABS-
CERTIFIED TAXONOMIST
Experience: 18 years
Ms. Gregoire is an ABR taxonomist with more than 18 years of experience
identifying freshwater macroinvertebrates. Ms. Gregoire is experienced
in identifying macroinvertebrates from the eastern, southwestern, and
northwestern regions of the United States. Ms. Gregoire holds a Master’s
degree in stream ecology from Arizona State University and a B.S. from
Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Ms. Gregoire regularly attends
the Northwest Taxonomic Workgroup meetings and is a NABS-certified
taxonomist for both western and eastern group-2 taxa.
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May 2011 ~ Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Services SOQ

Selected Client List
Federal:
National Park Service
US Forest Service
US Fish & Wildlife Service
Army Corps of Engineers
National Wild & Scenic Rivers Program
State/County:
Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection
Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife
MA Department of Environmental
Protection
NJ Department of Environmental
Protection
WV Department of Environmental
Protection (Quality Control)
King Co (WA)
Franklin County COG (MA)
Clackamas Co (OR)
Grant SWCD (OR)
Wheeler SWCD (OR)
Local Government:
City of Portland (OR)
City of Wilsonville (OR)
City of Lake Oswego (OR)
City of Salem (OR)
Metropolitan Washington Council of
Governments (DC)
Industry:
Weyerhaeuser Company (OR)
Port Blakely Timber Company (WA)
Clean Water Services (OR)
AMEC Earth & Environmental (WA)
WPC, Inc. (GA)
Hatch Energy (WA)
Non-Profit:
The Nature Conservancy (OR/WA)
Deerfield River Watershed
Association (MA)
South Coast/Lower Rogue
Watershed Council (OR)
Long Tom Watershed Council (OR)
Connecticut River Watershed Council
(MA)
Middle Fork Willamette Watershed
Council
Tillamook Estuary Partnership (OR)
The Xerces Society (OR)
Academia:
University of Connecticut
Oregon State University
Portland State University
Native Groups
Yakama Nation (WA)
Confederated Colville Tribes (WA)
Drawing by Michael B. Cole
Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Services SOQ ~ May 2011
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Quality Assurance
and Quality Control
ABR maintains a rigorous quality assurance program for our macroinvertebrate
sample processing and taxonomic work. Our procedures and
standards are described in our Standard Operating Procedures and Quality
Assurance Plans, developed and maintained by Dr. Cole, and available
upon request. We strive to provide highest-quality data by incorporating the
following elements into our program:
• Development of internal standard operating and quality assurance
procedures
• Internal training of all ABR staff performing sample processing
• Strict adherence to written protocols during each step of sample
processing
Drawing by Michael B. Cole
In ten years of providing
benthic taxonomy services,
no ABR project has failed
to meet our data quality
objective of 95% similarity
of identification and
enumeration between
ABR project and QC
taxonomists.
• Careful inventorying, labeling, and logging-in of all samples received
• Record keeping and documentation of each step of sample processing
• Sample sorting quality inspections
• Maintenance of internal data quality objectives that meet or exceed
industry-wide standards
• Internal and external quality inspections of taxonomy & enumeration
of specimens
• Documentation of results of quality control activities and corrective
actions taken
• Regular attendance of taxonomic and taxonomy quality assurance
workshops
• NABS certification required of ABR taxonomists
• Use of extensive and up-to-date taxonomic literature
• Independent validation of unknown specimens by research
taxonomists and other experts
Prospective clients may review our sample processing and taxonomy SOPs
and QAPP documents upon request.
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May 2011 ~ Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Services SOQ

Representative
Lab Project Profiles
2007–2010 PENNSYLVANIA DEP MACROINVERTEBRATE SAMPLE
PROCESSING AND TAXONOMIC SERVICES
Since 2007, ABR has processed and performed taxonomic work on more
than 400 benthic samples collected by the Pennsylvania DEP. Samples
were subsampled to achieve 200-organism target counts using gridded
trays and then macroinvertebrates were identified to standard levels of
resolution (generally genus) for input into Pennsylvania DEP’s database.
Internal quality control inspections of taxonomic work resulted in 98.5%
agreement between project and QC taxonomists.
Client: PA Department of Environmental Protection, Rachel Carson
State Office Building, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17105
Contact: Tony Shaw (717) 787-9637
2008–2009 XERCES SOCIETY WILLAMETTE VALLEY WETLANDS
MACROINVERTEBRATES
ABR processed and performed taxonomic work on 208 Willamette
Valley wetland samples collected by the Xerces Society. Samples were
subsampled to achieve 500-organism target counts using Caton gridded
trays and then macroinvertebrates were identified to NW standard
levels of resolution (generally genus/species), including Chironomidae.
Internal quality control inspections of taxonomic work resulted in 97.6%
agreement between project and QC taxonomists.
Client: The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, 4828 SE
Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, OR 97215
Contact: Celeste A. Mazzacano, Ph. D., (503) 232-6639
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2008–2010 MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF
MACROINVERTEBRATE PROCESSING AND TAXONOMIC SERVICES
Since 2008, ABR has performed taxonomic work on 186 benthic
samples collected by the Massachusetts DEP. Macroinvertebrates were
identified to standard levels of resolution (generally genus) for input into
Pennsylvania DEP’s database. External quality control inspections of
taxonomic work resulted in 98.5% agreement between ABR and external
QC taxonomists.
Client: MA DEP/Division of Watershed Management, 627 Main Street,
2nd Floor, Worcester, MA 01608
Contact: Bob Nuzzo (508) 767-2809
Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Services SOQ ~ May 2011
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Representative Lab
Project Profiles
2004–2009 KING COUNTY MACROINVERTEBRATE SAMPLE PROCESSING
AND TAXONOMIC SERVICES
Between 2004 and 2010, ABR processed, performed taxonomic work, and
analyzed more than 1,000 benthic samples collected by King County. Samples
were subsampled to achieve 500-organism target counts and macroinvertebrates
were identified to standard levels of resolution (generally genus/species) for
Northwest taxonomic groups.
Client: King County Department of Metro Services, Seattle, WA
Contact: Fritz Grothkopp (206) 684-2300
ABR has performed
taxonomic work for
clients across the Pacific
Northwest, mid-Atlantic,
southeast, and Northwest
regions of the country and
is familiar with many state
and federal laboratory
protocols as they apply to
these regions.
2006–2010 NPS ARCTIC MONITORING NETWORK MACROINVERTEBRATE
Between 2006 and 2010, ABR processed, performed taxonomic work, and
analyzed more than 250 benthic samples collected by the National Park Service
in Alaska. Samples were subsampled and then macroinvertebrates were identified
to standard levels of resolution (generally genus/species) for Northwest taxonomic
groups. External quality control inspections of taxonomic work resulted in 96.2%
agreement between ABR and external QC taxonomists.
Client: National Park Service, 4175 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709
Contact: Trey Simmons, (907) 455-0666
2005–2009 FENTON RIVER MACROINVERTEBRATE RE-COLONIZATION
STUDY
ABR performed a four-year study of re-colonization by macroinvertebrates of the
Fenton River following drying of the river during the summer 2005 drought. For
this study, ABR has processed over 200 benthic samples using modified EPA-RBP
protocols (500-organism counts). All aquatic insects were identified to the lowest
practical level (generally genus/species), including Chironomidae.
Client: University of Connecticut, Office of Environmental Policy, Storrs, CT
Contact: Richard Miller, Esq. (860) 486-8741
2009–2010 YAKAMA NATION MACROINVERTEBRATE SAMPLES
ABR processed and performed taxonomic work on more than 40 samples for
the Yakama Indian Nation. Samples were subsampled to achieve 500-organism
target counts using Caton gridded trays and then macroinvertebrates were
identified to standard levels of resolution (generally genus/species) for Northwest
taxonomic groups.
Client: Confederated Tribes & Bands of the Yakama Nation,
P.O. Box 151, Toppenish, WA 98948
Contact: Joanna Cornwall, (509) 865-5121 (ext 6088)
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May 2011 ~ Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Services SOQ

Corporate Profile
ABR, Inc. —Environmental Research & Services (formerly Alaska
Biological Research) is a professional consulting group founded in
Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1976. For over 35 years ABR has promoted
objective science and measured its success by a triple bottom line:
economic viability and innovation, environmental stewardship, and
social responsibility. Today ABR has a team of over 75 scientists and
support staff in offices in Alaska, Oregon, and Massachusetts. Our
mission—to provide timely, accurate, and cost-effective services to those
who protect, manage, and develop natural resources—remains strong,
and we continue to serve a diverse array of clients, including resource
management agencies, utilities, and the oil, gas, mining, timber, and
wind energy sectors of private industry. ABR’s involvement in long-term
monitoring projects, returning clients, and publication in peer-reviewed
journals are testaments to our leadership in environmental consulting.
Within this award-winning and dynamic corporate environment, ABR
offers a variety of environmental expertise in wildlife studies, fisheries
and aquatic sciences, threatened and endangered species studies, wetland
sciences, ecological land surveys, NEPA documentation and impact
analyses, permit support, GIS database creation and spatial analyses,
permafrost studies, and ecological restoration and land rehabilitation.
Our staff includes wildlife and fishery biologists, wetland scientists,
landscape ecologists, GIS specialists, statisticians and ecological
modelers, and environmental scientists. Many of our senior employees
have over 20 years in their field at ABR.
For more information on all of our services and offices, please visit our
website at www.abrinc.com.
Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Services SOQ ~ May 2011
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Lab Services Pricing
Macroinvertebrate sample processing costs range widely, depending on a number
of factors. ABR calculates a per-sample cost estimate that is based on project and
client-specific parameters and needs. We do our best to determine actual processing
costs to ensure the most reasonable cost to our clients.
Having the following information will assist ABR with providing an accurate cost
quote:
• Number of samples to be processed:
• Services to be included: sample sorting and subsampling, or only taxonomy
(i.e., pre-sorted samples):
• Expected sample delivery/pick-up date:
• Needed turn-around time:
• Preference/need to follow particular state or Federal protocols (if yes, please
list protocols):
• Desired sub-sample size (100, 200, 300, 500 organisms, etc.):
Prospective clients may
request a price quote from
ABR at any time.
• Desired levels of taxonomic resolution:
• Desired data formats (Access, Excel, custom database, etc.) and any desired
analyses/indexes:
• Need for a synoptic voucher collection:
• Desire to have sample materials/vessels returned (please specify what):
• Habitat(s) sampled (rivers, streams, wetlands lakes, etc.):
• Approximate sample volumes (i.e., single-vessel samples, or multiple-vessel
samples):
We understand that much of this information may not be available at the time
that quotes are being requested. Under such circumstances, please indicate what is
known or needed, and ABR will provide a cost estimate with available information.
Please email or fax your information to Mike Cole at mcole@abrinc.com, fax: (413)
774-5514. Questions may also be directed to Mike Cole at (413) 774-5515.
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May 2011 ~ Freshwater Macroinvertebrate Services SOQ