Final answer:
Aquatic macroinvertebrate bioindicators are indeed used to assess water quality, and they can provide essential data on the ecological health of water systems like Strawberry Creek.
Step-by-step explanation:
You're correct in stating that aquatic macroinvertebrate bioindicators can be used to investigate the water quality of the North Fork and South Fork of Strawberry Creek. Studies in stream ecology often utilize macroinvertebrates because their presence, abundance, and diversity are indicative of the environmental conditions of water bodies. When assessing water quality, researchers may look at various factors such as the biomasses of natural mussel populations, the rate of phytoplankton populations, the number and health of fish species like trout, as well as the growth rates of aquatic plants. These approaches provide data which can justify or refute claims related to environmental impacts, such as those from logging activities near water streams.