Desmids after 7 months in an Eppendorf tube

[MicroBob]

Hi together,
today I had a look at the window sill of my office/lab bay window: I still keep a water sample rich in desmids in a 2 ml Eppendorf tube there, next to some other water samples and two plancton aquariums. Since it has been standing there closed for 7 months I thought I should give it a short look. Result: It still seems to be fairly lively in there with lots od desmids that seem to do well!
Here an image that needs a bit of phantasy on the viewers side - douple dots are desmids!
Photo with Leitz Großfeld stereo microscope TS at 100x mag through the Eppendorf tube.

What can we learn from it: A lock down isn't so bad at all!

Bob

[75RR]

.
They seem to be thriving. When you say closed, is that sealed as in a closed system?

Is this what they are in?

[MicroBob]

Hi Glen,
yes, like the right one, 2ml. The lid closes water proof and clicks in. I got the tube by post in an ordinary paper envelope.

Apparently there is a recycling process running with very little waste. Some desmids reproduce very slowly so some of these might actually be from the first generation in the tube.

In slightly bigger vessels closed systems can live for 25 years or more.

Bob