At the seaside (beginner's question)

[Oxalis80]

Sorry for a trivial beginner's question...

Next month I'll go to the seaside on vacation. I'd like to take my microscope with me (I've just made a DIY wooden travel box), I hope I'll have some time for microscopy, at least on vacation...

My question is, are there any interesting subjects on a beach with artificial cliffs (for my biological microscope)?
Is it possible to collect some plankton or marine diatoms on the rocks, or should I go to a wild environment?


Thank you!

[75RR]

You will find that a lot of organisms congregate around seaweed.
Rinsing seaweed out (using sea water) into a small jar should get you a nice haul of critters

[KurtM]

I agree, you should be able to find lots of interesting things to look at. Remember, diatoms are alga, or plants, and so should be wherever you find vegetation. Diatoms are often represented by slime, too, so scrub slimy rocks and examine the rinsings.

See this excellent video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp9ym5M0RUc

As 75RR suggests, collect seaweed, which should be home to loads of microorganisms. The trick is to flush them out of the foliage; this may be as simple as wringing the water out of a clump as though it were a wet washcloth, then examining the water. If you can squirt a hose at seaweed over a fine mesh, no telling what you might collect. Also check beach sand for foaminifera, which are tiny sand grain size seashells. Heck, just examining sand itself at lowest powers using top illumination (a flashlight or desk lamp) can be fascinating.

Endeavor to use imagination, take a fresh look at everything you come across and wonder what might be discovered if you explore closer with a microscope? Think of your microscope as a great big magnifying glass, for that is exactly what it is!

Your questions are actually very excellent ones. This is exactly how you - I mean, how we - learn.

[charlie g]

I cheer your vacation,Oxalis, wear some 'sun screen' on the beach. Please look for the surf-zone matts of sea plants (as has been suggested)...collect these clumps in a wide mouth plastic jar ( try never to use glass sample jars).

Have simple paper plates (sold for food eating)...with low-cost LED torch...at your vacation habitation...shine light across the collected sample...wonderful invertebrate activities should please your gaze with unaided eyes,Oxalis.

Forget about the 'artificial cliff'...the unique microscopy of your vacation beach location are a good evening ( after days vacation activities...on a relished vacation at the beach!) microscopy session.

Your dear companions can be asked to take a peek through your magical light microscope instrument...if something is encountered with charm. As your vacation company settle to sip post dinner treats...you may still participate in the evening conversations.

In the 1800's...oh so many fine books were termed: 'Evening at the Microscope'..because with the days work during sunlight...the evening is personal time for relaxsation.


Please enjoy you sea shore vacation, Oxalis. Charlie Guevara,finger lakes/US

[Oxalis80]

Thank you everybody for your detailed answers!

You gave me many ideas for my vacation researches... I was thinking about scratching rocks with a toothbrush (as shown in the very interesting video), but I didn't consider seaweed at all. I only observed a piece of Codium fragile some years ago.

My dear companions will surely participate and enjoy my activity, specially my children. The elder one will take with him a digital low power microscope we gave him for his first Holy Communion, with screen and micro SD card to save pictures. Little or micro shells will be an easy and interesting subject for him.

I hope I'll have funny evenings at the microscope, I agree, it's so relaxing and involving! But I also hope in the time after lunch, after a good italian espresso coffee... when other people are sleeping and children are doing their mandatory vacation school homeworks

Thank you again
Simone

[JimT]

Let us know how you did and what you discovered when you return.

Enjoy the vacation.

[billbillt]

I ditto what Jim posted.. Will be interesting to see what you find...

BillT