http://www.ecoanalysts.com/news/econews.aspx EcoAnalysts, Inc. (Moscow, ID), in partnership with The Cadmus Group (Boston, MA), has been awarded a contract by the US Environmental Protection Agency to collect and analyze samples from the nation’s coasts in an effort to monitor and evaluate the ecological and environmental conditions in US coastal waters. EcoAnalysts will process estuarine and coastal benthic macroinvertebrate samples and provide taxonomic identification of the organisms that inhabit the bottom substrates of water bodies. Benthic invertebrates are an extremely diverse group of aquatic animals that possess a wide range of tolerance to environmental pollutants. These known characteristics make benthic organisms important indicators of environmental health. Because of the magnitude of the BP oil spill, samples collected from the Gulf Coast are of ultimate importance as the EPA works to determine the potential ecological and environmental effects of oil and other contaminants in the region. http://www.ecoanalysts.com/news/econews.aspx Scientists working at EcoAnalysts, Inc. have described a new genus and species of mayfly collected from seven lakes and reservoirs in Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Arkansas, reminding us that there are still plenty of things to discover on earth and in our own backyards. Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:33:02 GMT http://www.ecoanalysts.com/mysterymacro.aspx A new macro has been posted for EcoAnalysts' June - July 2010 Mystery Macro Contest! There is also a bonus picture to identify this month. The person who identifies the macro in the photo with the highest taxonomic resolution wins a prize. Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:09:30 GMT