Proficiency Test 04/2016 - Taxonomic identification of boreal freshwater lotic, lentic, profundal and North-Eastern Baltic benthic macroinvertebrates

The Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) conducted a benthic macroinvertebrate taxa identification proficiency test in which 22 participants took part. In the lake littoral subtest, one participant out of seven scored lower than 95% correct and three out of seven achieved perfect results in this test. Half of the ten participants in the lake profundal subtest achieved a score higher than 95%, with four participants scoring a perfect result. In the lotic subtest, two participants out of ten scored 100% and half of the participants scored more than 95% correct. In the Baltic test the average result was 94% correctly identified taxa. Even if the general performance of the participants were good, the results clearly demonstrates the need for recurring taxonomic identification tests for lotic, lentic profundal, littoral and Baltic coastal macroinvertebrates as well as regularly arranged taxonomic workshops. Warm thanks to all the participants!