Day 28 - 14 November 2012

14 Nov 2012 - This is my last blog entry.  I viewed my MicroAquarium™, which had many floating carcasses, a plethora of water fleas, an increase in nematodes and Loxophyllium sp.  Dr. McFarland and I did find two different organisms: Centropyxis sp. (Picture 1) and Halteria sp. (Picture 2).  We continued to scan but we didn't see any other new organisms.  My aquarium went through what I believe is a typical life cycle; slow growth at the beginning while they were getting established, then increased growth, then as the food supply decreased organism growth and reproduction had a corresponding reduction.  My MicroAquarium™ organisms were released into their larger containers where hopefully the survivors will continue to prosper.

Picture 1.  Centropyxis sp. A testate amoeba with a flattened surface and a single aperature near the anterior end (Patterson, 1996). 

Picture 2.  Halteria sp. A rounded cell, which moves in a bounding motion due to the absorption and expulsion of water (Patterson, 1996).

Bibliography:

Patterson DJ. 1996. Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa: A Colour Guide. Washington DC: ASM Press. 95 p. and 155 p.

Day 21 - 7 November 2012

7 Nov 2012 - Today I went into view my aquarium, a day later than normal, and I'm glad I didn't wait longer as the water level was much lower than normal.  I topped it off and all is well.  I had a lot of activity in the aquarium.  I saw many of Rotifers and Stentors clumped together, almost in what looked like little colonies.  The Rotifers are a lot shyer than the Stentors.  The Loxophyllium, see picture in last weeks post, were everywhere today.  They seem to be multiplying at a very fast rate.  I saw some much larger than the one last week and then some very small, young ones.  They are obviously enjoying their environment.  Also, the Actinosphaerium sp. have significantly increased (or maybe I'm better at focusing!). Most of what I saw I have seen before, but the number and their increased movement is fascinating to watch.  I believe the food additive has gave them some vital nutrients they were lacking the first week.  I think the organisms are busy creating a sustainable environment.

Picture 1.  Euplotes sp. Page 124, Fig 261 (Patterson, 1996)

In addition to my regular organisms, I saw quite a few new ones.  A few Diatoms, which look like the Diatom cybella on the poster in the lab room, a nematode who looked like he was tangled in some mold hyphae, but Dr. McFarland stated that was the way they investigate their surroundings, and what looked like a family of Euplotes sp.  (Patterson, 1996).  Watching the way this group of four moved around each other and through the water was interesting.  These little guys are Protist with motor cilia in a line from the front of the cell to the cytostome (Patterson 1996).  It still amazes me that I can see through their "bodies" and see what's going on inside and under it.  I didn't take any pictures this week, it was late and I as ready to call it a day.  I took a picture of Figure 261, Euplotes, from Patterson's book "Free-living Freshwater Protozoa: A Colour Guide."  Some other organisms that Dr. McFarland found were an Amoeba, which he state just "oozes" around, and a Difflugia, which is an ugly gritty looking Amoeba (Patterson, 1996), nothing like the pretty ooze Dr. McFarland found almost immediately after finding this one.  That's about it for today's viewing.  I hope to take a picture of the nematode next week, until then!

Bibliography:
Patterson DJ. 1996. Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa: A Colour Guide. Washington DC: ASM Press. 19 and 124 p.

Day 13 - 30 October 2012

30 Oct 2012 - Today's viewing went a lot faster than the last two, I'm improving, or just lucky.  There was a lot of movement in my MicroAquarium™ today.  I'm sure this increase in activity is due to the food Dr. McFarland added to the tank on 26 Oct 2012.
     On this date, one "Atison's Betta Food" pellet was added to every students MicrAquarium™ (McFarland, 2012).  The Betta food was made by Ocean Nutrition, Aqua Pet Americas, 3528 West 500 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84104 (McFarland, 2012). Ingredients: Fish meal, wheat flower, soy meal, krill meal, minerals, vitamins and preservatives (McFarland, 2012). Analysis: Crude Protein 36%; Crude fat 4.5%; Crude Fiber 3.5%; Moisture 8% and Ash 15% (McFarland, 2012).
     I saw a lot of movement in the tank but was only able to focus on four organisms: Acinosphaerium, Anisonema sp., Loxophyllium (Picture 1), and Stentor sp. (Picture 2).  I didn't post Acinosphaerium since I posted a picture of a similar one last week nor did I post a picture of the Anisonema sp. because it was a blurry image.  In addition, I discovered some water mold (Picture 3), which I thought was another type of protozoa since it appeared to be motile, but the movement was due to the water motion as I moved the base plate around.
     At the end of the viewing session, I added water to the MicroAquarium™ to ensure the plants and organisms had maximum available space to move and grow.  Until next week!

Picture 1.  Loxophyllium has distinctive wart-like bumps at the cell's lateral margin.  This is a predatory ciliate gains energy and nutrients through heterotrophy (Patterson, 1996).

Picture 2.  Stentor sp. has external cilia that move bringing in food particles (Patterson, 1996).

Picture 3.  Water mold hyphae as identified by Dr. McFarland. 

Bibliography
Botany 111 Fall 2012 (Blog). Watersource: 11. Fountain City Duck Pond (cited 2012 November 4).  Available from: http://botany1112012.blogspot.com/

Patterson DJ. 1996. Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa: A Colour Guide. Washington DC: ASM Press. 132 p. and 107 p.

Day 6 - 23 October 2012

23 Oct 2012 - Today I spent many hours in the lab viewing my MicroAquarium™.  Focusing and capturing images of the organisms was very challenging.  I personally feel focusing is the biggest challenge, thank you Dr. McFarland for your patience!  Anyways, I managed to capture five images of these amazing looking creatures (see pictures below).  With Dr. McFarland's assistance, I was able to identify each of the organisms.
      The majority of the microorganisms I saw belong in the Phylum Rotifera.  The Rotifera phylum is the largest taxonomic category containing the most common aqua microorganisms (Pennak, 1989).  Rotifera can be stationary or non-motile (Picture 4) or motile (Picture 3), but all have synchronized beating coronal cilia, which "suck in" food (Pennak, 1989).
     I found a number of dead carcases in the water, possibly an indication of another type(s) of predator.  The MicroAquarium™ contained many fast moving organisms, impossible to focus on, and some yellow colored worms weaving through the sediment at the bottom.  I will focus on the the sediment during my next viewing sessions.  I would like to have some pictures of the worm-like organisms.

Picture 1.  Actinosphaerium sp. is clear with  multiple spikes or spines (Pennak 1989).

Picture 2.  Cyclops sp. has a twin tail, large round body and dual horn-like antenna (Pennak 1989).

Picture 3.  Lecane sp. (phylum Rotifer) eating (sucking in) a clear stranded organism (Pennak 1989).

Picture 4.  Philodina sp. (phylum Rotifer), disc-like cilia on anterior end (corona) (Pennak 1989).

Picture 5.  Tachysoma sp. large contractual vacuole regulates internal water pressure (Patterson 1996).

Bibliography

Pennak RW. 1989. Fresh-Water Invertebrates of the United States: Protozoa to Mollusca. 3^rd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 212 p.

Patterson DJ. 1996. Free-Living Freshwater Protozoa: A Colour Guide. Washington DC: ASM Press. 125 p.

MicroAquarium™ Set-up - 17 October 2012

17 Oct 2012, Day 1.  Today I set-up my MicroAquarium™(tank) for the Botany 111 Term Project.  The aquarium consists of the glass tank and a removable plastic top and base.  The top fits securely to prevent evaporation.  Colored dots designating the lab section, table, and chair are aligned vertically on the upper left side of the glass tank.  As an additional means of identification, I put my initials in the colored dots.

Picture 1: Fountain City Duck Pond, spring fed, full sun exposure
(McFarland, 2012)

Before setting up the contents of the tank, Ken McFarland presented the 12 different water sources he'd collected for the students to choose from.  I chose #11, Fountain City Duck Pond, because I'm hoping debris coming into the pond from the spring, the duck waste, and the full sun exposure will create an environment rich in unique/interesting organisms to view and study.  The pond water was collected on 9 Oct 2011, West of Broadway at Cedar Lane in Knox County, Knoxville TN (GPS N36 02.087 W83 55.967 963 ft) (McFarland, 2012).

Using a pipet, I removed enough of the bottom layer of the collected pond water to fill the bottom 1/3 of the tank, then 1/3 from the middle layer, then 1/3 from the top layer.  By filling the tank with three different layers of the collected water, I should have captured a sampling of the organisms living at different levels in the pond.  After filling the tank, I added one piece of Amblestegium sp. moss, approx. 2-3" long, collected from Natural Spring at Carters Mill Park, Carter Mill Road, Knox Co. TN, partial shade exposure, GPS coordinates N36 01.168 W83 42.832 on 9 Oct 2011 (McFarland, 2012).  I also added two pieces, varying lengths, of Utricularia gibba L, a carnivous flowering plant, collected from the south shore of Spain Lake, GPS coordinates N 35o55 12.35" W088o20' 47.00, then grown in water tanks outside of the greenhouse at Hesler Biology Building, University of Tennessee, Knox Co., Knoxville TN (McFarland, 2012).

Picture 2:  MicroAquarium™ (tank)

After completing the tank set-up, I viewed the contents under a microscope.  I saw a number of organisms moving around but I wasn't sure type of organisms they were.  Ken McFarland identified the multitude of shrimp like organisms that moved quickly in all directions and also the many round, slower, hopping type organisms, which he stated move as they expel water from its vacuoles.  The water being forced out acts like a jet moving the microorganism in what appears to be a hopping type motion.  In addition to these two organisms, I saw a few larger organisms with two green spots moving carefully (slowly) around in the tank.  I hope by next week to have the proper identification for these organisms.

Bibliography
Botany 111 Fall 2012 (Blog). Watersource: 11. Fountain City Duck Pond (cited 2012 October 20).  Available from: http://botany1112012.blogspot.com/