Swamps come alive.

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apochronaut
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Swamps come alive.

#1 Post by apochronaut » Tue Apr 07, 2020 11:45 am

Here on the north shore of Lake Ontario, spring comes a little late, in some years held back by thawing lake ice. The bedrock on this island is limestone shale, formed between successive glacial events over some very ancient and steep mountains, which farther east and north rise to the surface as the Canadian Shield. The whole of the island has one 2 acre protrusion of a granite peak, pushing 50 ft. above the depression it underpins, like an upside down strawberry in the middle of a plate. This shape is an informing characteristic of the entire are, which is more or less like a giant 1000 sq. km. plate, rising a couple of hundred feet above the lake in the N.E., with the edge tipping into the lake in the S.W. . As one descends the gentle grade into the center, numerous swamps appear, most being held up from rapid drainage by depressional areas in the bedrock, which can be surprisingly close to the surface. Many are seasonal but some of the larger ones, persist throughout the season except in some of the frequent parched summers we encounter. They come alive late and usually freeze in the winter, although this past winter was an exception.

Yesterday, I skirted one of the swamps on another task and had a look for some of the first algae films, scooping one up from about 3 feet out with stick. A nice big glob. Usually, I take the water temperature too but didn't have a thermometer with me.

some nice samples with many unique to me. I haven't looked any up yet but here is what I found.
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An unusual and quite transparent vase shaped organism. Most examples were singular but several , branched like this one. 40X Dark Phase, cropped
An unusual and quite transparent vase shaped organism. Most examples were singular but several , branched like this one. 40X Dark Phase, cropped
DSC03179 (1280x852).jpg (106.73 KiB) Viewed 4181 times
A more colonial example. All encountered were motionless and in appearance, inoffensive. I could detect no cilia or locomotive method of any kind. 40X Dark Phase, cropped
A more colonial example. All encountered were motionless and in appearance, inoffensive. I could detect no cilia or locomotive method of any kind. 40X Dark Phase, cropped
DSC03182 (1280x852).jpg (127.3 KiB) Viewed 4181 times
What appears to be a Euglenoid of some kind. 40X Dark Phase, cropped.
What appears to be a Euglenoid of some kind. 40X Dark Phase, cropped.
DSC03180 (1280x852).jpg (82.99 KiB) Viewed 4181 times
A Euglenoid, similar to the above. It is motionless inside the opening, beyond the opening of the lorica, if that is what the body is called in this case. 40X Dark Phase, cropped. Thanks to HKV (see post below), this is most likely an ameboid spring form of a Dinobryon.
A Euglenoid, similar to the above. It is motionless inside the opening, beyond the opening of the lorica, if that is what the body is called in this case. 40X Dark Phase, cropped. Thanks to HKV (see post below), this is most likely an ameboid spring form of a Dinobryon.
DSC03183 (1280x898).jpg (99.78 KiB) Viewed 4181 times
These appear to have included the two spheres. Hard to see in the picture but with optics, a membrane appears to enclose them.  100X Dark Phase, cropped.
These appear to have included the two spheres. Hard to see in the picture but with optics, a membrane appears to enclose them. 100X Dark Phase, cropped.
DSC03186 (1280x797).jpg (141.31 KiB) Viewed 4181 times
Last edited by apochronaut on Tue Apr 07, 2020 6:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Hobbyst46
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Re: Swamps come alive.

#2 Post by Hobbyst46 » Tue Apr 07, 2020 11:52 am

A very nice report. Are those with the flagella mobile ?

apochronaut
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Re: Swamps come alive.

#3 Post by apochronaut » Tue Apr 07, 2020 11:54 am

A few more.
Attachments
A quite encrusted  water mite, hydrachnidia. 10X Dark Phase. cropped.
A quite encrusted water mite, hydrachnidia. 10X Dark Phase. cropped.
DSC03188 (1280x775).jpg (156.62 KiB) Viewed 4177 times
40X Dark Phase, cropped.
40X Dark Phase, cropped.
DSC03187 (1280x852).jpg (95.38 KiB) Viewed 4177 times
100X Dark Phase, cropped. Anabaena, likely.
100X Dark Phase, cropped. Anabaena, likely.
DSC03185 (1280x852).jpg (110.88 KiB) Viewed 4177 times
40X Dark Phase, cropped.. Desmids, likely.
40X Dark Phase, cropped.. Desmids, likely.
DSC03181 (869x1280).jpg (134.49 KiB) Viewed 4177 times
A germinating spore. 40X Dark Phase, cropped.
A germinating spore. 40X Dark Phase, cropped.
DSC03178 (1280x852).jpg (117.27 KiB) Viewed 4177 times
Last edited by apochronaut on Tue Apr 07, 2020 6:45 pm, edited 3 times in total.

apochronaut
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Re: Swamps come alive.

#4 Post by apochronaut » Tue Apr 07, 2020 11:57 am

Hobbyst46 wrote:
Tue Apr 07, 2020 11:52 am
A very nice report. Are those with the flagella mobile ?
Very much so. The water is yet, quite cold but those that were moving , were right at it. There were some dino flagellates as well( picture 7). The larger movers , seemed to all be chlorophyll bearing.

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hkv
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Re: Swamps come alive.

#5 Post by hkv » Tue Apr 07, 2020 12:52 pm

Always nice when the ponds starts to come back to life! The vase shaped organism is likely a golden algae called Dinobryon.

Image



Golden Algae - Dinobryon
by Håkan Kvarnström, on Flickr
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apochronaut
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Re: Swamps come alive.

#6 Post by apochronaut » Tue Apr 07, 2020 1:23 pm

What is the scale of each of the "vases" in Dinobryon. The vase shaped sections in the samples I collected are about 20 microns in length. I observed no internal structures, except what I observed below.

In pictures, # 4, #5' where a vase structure contains large inclusions, they appear to be single flagella bearing organisms that are in the throat, simiar to what I see in your DIC image. . I observed them for about 2 or 3 minutes and the flagella did not move once. Possibly, Zoospores?

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hkv
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Re: Swamps come alive.

#7 Post by hkv » Tue Apr 07, 2020 2:33 pm

apochronaut wrote:
Tue Apr 07, 2020 1:23 pm
What is the scale of each of the "vases" in Dinobryon. The vase shaped sections in the samples I collected are about 20 microns in length. I observed no internal structures, except what I observed below.

In pictures, # 4, #5' where a vase structure contains large inclusions, they appear to be single flagella bearing organisms that are in the throat, simiar to what I see in your DIC image. . I observed them for about 2 or 3 minutes and the flagella did not move once. Possibly, Zoospores?
Cells are around 20 um long and 10 um wide. There is a single flagella coming out at the top that is used to pull the entire colony towards the light. Small eye-spot in each cell. I have some videos of the them as well where the flagella is whipping somewhere on the hard drive. I think the zoosphores are the small green balls you can see in the DIC picture. Not 100% sure about that, but makes sense.
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apochronaut
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Re: Swamps come alive.

#8 Post by apochronaut » Tue Apr 07, 2020 4:45 pm

Thanks, Håkan. Seems like what I have. There will no doubt be billions of them soon. Almost like a colony of Euglena, if I understand correctly.

thomas.schwarz
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Re: Swamps come alive.

#9 Post by thomas.schwarz » Tue Apr 07, 2020 5:47 pm

Beautiful. Thank you.

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KD Arvidsson
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Re: Swamps come alive.

#10 Post by KD Arvidsson » Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:42 pm

apochronaut and HKV very beautiful photos!! Good work!//KD
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einman
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Re: Swamps come alive.

#11 Post by einman » Fri Apr 10, 2020 2:23 pm

Your photography is excellent. You have been practicing my friend!

apochronaut
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Re: Swamps come alive.

#12 Post by apochronaut » Fri Apr 10, 2020 10:39 pm

I don't clean my sensor but thanks, Everett.

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