Our practical at the river was a deep dive into the health of South African aquatic ecosystems. Using the miniSASS (South African Scoring System) method, we assessed water quality by observing macroinvertebrate life. In the South African landscape, where water is a scarce and precious resource, understanding freshwater ecology is vital. These systems act as the lifeblood of our biodiversity, and monitoring them allows us to detect environmental shifts before they become crises. Collecting specimens as a team and identifying them in the lab turned data into a clear picture of river health.
