Lesson 4: Salmon Fry & Macroinvertebrates

At this stage, salmon start venturing out of their nest (we call it a “redd”) to explore their habitat and hunt for bugs. These bugs, called aquatic macroinvertebrates, are an “indicator species.” Indicator species are animals that “indicate” the quality of their environment. In this case, the kind and amount of macroinvertebrates found in a stream tell us something about the quality of the water. In this video, we invite you to create your own macroinvertebrate, using household items.

First, download our Build a Macroinvertebrate activity.