GMU:Life in an aquatic ecosystem/Tardigrades

Agenda

• sharing ideas on individual projects
• sharing projects of other artists
• excursion to Ilm park -- hunting for organisms in local ecosystems
• drivers license
• setting up tardigrades

Experiment #2

(see for the first experiment previous class)

1st 12 well plate -- potassium phosphate

• 4x euglena and potassium phosphate (0; 0,05; 0,5; 5).
• 4x cyanobacteria and potassium phosphate (0; 0,05; 0,5; 5).
• 4x cyanobacteria, euglena and potassium phosphate (0; 0,05; 0,5; 5).

2nd 12 well plate -- nitrogen

• 4x euglena and nitrogen (0; 0,05; 0,5; 5).
• 4x cyanobacteria and nitrogen (0; 0,05; 0,5; 5).
• 4x cyanobacteria, euglena and nitrogen (0; 0,05; 0,5; 5).

Hunting for the organisms at the Ilm park

Our class visited the ponds at Ilmpark, where we collected various water and soil samples. Now, the question is: what elements do we want to focus on for study, and what should we consider introducing to our rainwater pond?

Here’s what we found:

Duckweed water

• Freshwater copepods
• Algae resembling Chlamydomonas

Soil samples

• Possibly Demodex canis
• Nematode worms

Leaf water sample

• Algae resembling Chlamydomonas
• Klebsormidium-like structures
• Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)