Week 1 Observation

On Friday, Oct. 26, I went to observe the contents of the Normandy. There was a great deal of activity. I identified three different organisms, and observed a great number more. I identified Euchlanis sp., Cladocera, and Cyclops sp. (Smith 2001). I observed three Cyclops, as well as a few Euchlanis. There were quite a few Cladocera, or water fleas, generally found along the edges of the  Normandy, near the glue. I tracked one with the microscope as it moved down the side of the tank and then onto a leaf of Amblestegium.

I also observed a large number of worm-like organisms, which I have not yet identified. They appear to multiply by budding, with numerous worms still attached to one another. There were a few single-bodied worms as well. There was also one other worm-like organism, which I believe may be some kind of aquatic nematode.

There were massive numbers of flagellates, tiny organisms which could barely be seen with the microscope; they looked like springs or coils. It is possible that they appeared this way due to the speed of their movements. The masses of flagellates could be seen as cloudy areas within the Normandy.
In addition to the flagellates, there were small, spherical organisms which moved in a spiral pattern. I have not managed to identify them as of yet due to their great speed. They occurred in near the flagellates, and also near the plants in the Normandy.

Overall, most of the organisms I observed occurred in high abundance. A few of the organisms, such as the nematode and Cyclops, had relatively low abundance. I also saw a number of carcasses within the tank, and I did not observe the seed shrimp which were present after the initial set up.

Bibliography
Smith DG. 2001. Pennak's freshwater invertebrates of the United States. 4th ed. New York:  John Wiley and Sons, Inc.