Next-Gen and Traditional Schoolship Instructor Manual
PLANKTONSTATION
OVERVIEW
Planktonformthebaseoftheaquaticfoodwebinthe
GreatLakes.Phytoplanktoncreate50-85%oftheoxygen
onearthandbringmostoftheenergyintotheaquaticfood
web.Zooplanktoneatphytoplanktonandarefoodfor
smallorganismslikefishlarvaeandinvertebrates.
Changesinplanktonabundanceorspeciescomposition
canhaveeffectsthatripplethroughthewholelake,soitis
usefultomonitorplankton.Sincethearrivalofthezebra
musselmassivechangesintheplanktoncommunityhave
occurred.Whereoncetheplanktoncommunitycontained
mostoftheLakeMichigan’senergy,todayitis
concentratedtowardthebottomofthelake.Inthe
planktonstationstudentsevaluatethediversityofthe
zooplanktoncommunitybyidentifyingorganismscaught
intheplanktonnetandcomparingthecollectiontohistoricalrecords.
LEARNINGGOALS
StationObjective
Studentswillbeableto:
StationConcepts
Studentswillknow:
1.
Explainhowazooplankton
samplehelpsusunderstand
lakehealth.
1a. Planktonabundanceanddiversitywillinfluencelake
health.
2.
Observethebehaviorand
physicalcharacteristicsof
plankton,andcompareand
contrastabundancesof
differentplanktontypes.
2a. Planktonanatomyandbehaviorprovidecluesto
planktonlifestyleandarehelpfulidentificationtools.
2b. Planktonabundancechangespredictablythroughoutthe
year.
3.
3a. Adiversityofspeciesindicatesecosystemhealth(few
Determineifplankton
speciesmayindicatepoorhealth,butnotnecessarily).
communityindicatesecosystem
3b.
Nativespeciesindicateecosystemhealth.Invasive
health.
speciescauseproblemsintheecosystem.
4.
Describetheroleofplanktonin
thefoodweb.
4a. Phytoplanktonbringenergyfromthesunintothefood
web.
4b. Bothphytoplanktonandzooplanktonareafoodsource
forsmallorganismsinthelake.
4c. Bythotrephes(spinywaterfleas)competewithsmallfish
andlargerplanktonforfood,butaredifficulttoeat
themselvesduetotheirspinytail.
5.
Explainwhyplanktonare
importantforhumanwellbeing.
5a. Phytoplanktoncreatetheoxygenwebreathe.Upto85%
oftheoxygenonearthiscreatedbyplankton.
5b. Planktonarethebaseofthefoodweb,whichmeansfish
abundancedependsonplanktonhealthandabundance.
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TOOLS
Demonstrationplanktonnet
Eyedroppers
PlanktonStationmanual
Microscope-videodisplaysystem
Petridishes
Foodwebdiagram
Planktonidentificationposter
Penny
Graphsofplanktonabundance
Planktonidentificationcards
Flashlight
Secchidepthgraphs
IMPORTANCEOFTHESTATION
Theplanktonstationdealswiththehealthofthefoodweb.Phytoplanktonarethedoorwaythrough
whichmostofthelake’senergyenters,andbothphytoplanktonandzooplanktonareconduitsfor
thisenergytotherestofthefoodweb.Additionallyplanktonactasnutrientpumpsinthelakes,
absorbingnutrientsfromthewaterandtheatmosphereandtransferringthemtoothermembersof
thefoodweb,ortothebenthiczonewhenorganismsgeneratewasteanddie.Thedistribution,
abundance,andhealthoftheplanktoncommunityarepivotaltothehealthofthewholelake.
Planktonaresmallandhaveshortgenerationtimeswhichmeanstheyrespondrapidlytochanging
conditions.Adjustmentstonutrientavailability,icecoverage,andairtemperaturecanallbequickly
reflectedintheplanktoncommunity.Observingthispartofthefoodwebcanprovideawindowinto
whole-lakechangesonthehorizon.
Finally,waterclarityinLakeMichiganhasincreasedimpressivelysince1990.Secchidepthsof
around8metersthenareuptoaround14meterstoday.Thisincreaseinclarityisinlargepartdue
tothedeclineinphytoplanktoninthewatercolumn.ThisisespeciallytruefortheLakeMichigan
springbloom,whichbarelyregistersthesedays.Ratherthanbeinginterceptedbyphytoplankton,
sunlightnowfallstothebottomofthelakewhereitcanstimulateplantgrowthinthebenthiczone.
InLakeMichiganalargepartoftheenergyandnutrientpoolinthelakehasshiftedfromthe
planktoncommunitytothebenthiczone.Feedingbyzebraandquaggamusselscanaccountfor
someofthedeclinesinphytoplanktonabundance,butchangesinprecipitationanddeclinesintotal
phosphorusseemtobeequallyimportant(Warner,Lesht2015).
ThePlanktonstationisimportantbecauseitdemonstrateswherethefoodwebintersectswith
physicalandchemicalfactorsinthelake.Phytoplanktontakeinchemicalsandsunlighttofeed
themselves,andzooplanktonfeedonphytoplanktontobringthatenergytotherestofthelake.We
wantstudentstounderstand:
1) Whyitisimportanttoexamineandmonitortheplanktoncommunity:
a. Phytoplanktonbringenergyintothelakethroughphotosynthesis.Mostenergyfor
thelakecomesfromthesun.
b. Planktonarefoodforsmallorganismsinthelake,andthusthebaseofthefoodweb.
c. Adiverseplanktoncommunityisanindicatorofecosystemhealth.
2) Whatwecanlearnbyobservingplankton:
a. Physicalcharacteristicscanhelpusidentifyplanktonandsortthemintogroups.
b. Planktonexhibitseasonalanddailypatternsinabundanceanddistribution.
3) WhywecareaboutplanktonintheGreatLakes:
a. Phytoplanktoncreatemorethan50%oftheoxygenwebreathe.
b. PlanktonabundancecaninfluencetheabundanceoffishintheGreatLakes.
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SETUPSTATIONMATERIALSInlandSeas:BelowdeckManitou:Belowdeck,downmidshipsladder
Meetattheshipatleast30minutesbeforethestudentsarescheduledtoarrive.Thisgivestimeto
learnimportantinformationaboutthegroupfromtheleadinstructor,setupstationmaterials,and
solveanyunforeseenproblemsbeforedeparture.
o Tryoutthemicroscopetobesureitisworkingproperlyandthevideoscreenisreceiving
imagesfromthemicroscope.Itiscommonforthepowertonotbeworkingwhenyouarrive
–justletthecreworleadinstructorknowwhatisgoingonandtheywillmakeitwork.
o Setupbinmaterialsontheplanktonbenchortable.Alertleadinstructorifmaterialsare
missingorbroken.
o Bringplanktonnetondeck,andlocatethelinefortheplanktonnet.Checktomakesure
everythingisinworkingorder.
o Setupdatasheetwithyourname,date,andlocation.Reviewdirectionsthatexplainhowto
completethedatasheet.
o Gatherindexcard,pencils,andlogbooksforstudents.Smile!
COLLECTINGTHESAMPLE
IfyouareonaNext-Genprogram,youwillneedtoteachthispart.Keepreading!
IfyouareonaTraditionalprogram,theleadinstructorwilltakecareofthispart.Skipahead!
SchoolshipLearningObjective:Studentswillbeabletoexplainhowaplanktonsample
helpsusunderstandlakehealth.
Toreachthisobjective,studentswill:
a. Learnhowtocollectaplanktonsample.Scientistshadtoinventtheplankton
nettocaptureplanktonfromthelake.
b. Collectaplanktonsample.
c. Learnthatplanktoncanbephytoplanktonorzooplankton;tolive,
phytoplanktonconsumesunlightandzooplanktonconsumeotherplankton.
d. Learnthatdifferenttypesofplanktonwillbeatdifferentlocationsinthewater
column,andthatplanktonoftenmigrateonadailybasis.
Aftercollectingthesamplestudentswillbeableto:
a. Sharetheimportanceofplanktonforlakehealth–planktonbringsunlightenergy
tothefoodwebandarefoodforeverythingelseinthelake.
b. Identifythepartofthelakesampled:acolumnofwaterfromjustabovethe
bottomofthelaketothesurface.
c. Describetheproblemtheplanktonnetwasinventedtosolveandhowthe
planktonnetworkstocollectaplanktonsample.
d. Showthesample.
e. Explainhowwewillusethesampletolearnaboutthehealthofthispartofthe
lake(wewillidentifyandcountthelivingthingsinthesample).
1. Pre-samplingdiscussion(5min)
a. Ourjobistolookatthewatercolumntoseewhatislivinginitandtofindoutifitis
healthy.Wewillknowitishealthyifwefindadiversityoforganisms,many
individualsofeachtype,andnoinvasivespecies.Planktondiversitychanges
naturallyandpredictablythroughouttheyearsoitwillbeimportanttocompare
today’sdiversitytohistoricaldiversity.
b. Showstudentstheplanktonnet,makesureeachstudentgetstheopportunityto
examinethenetandfeelthemesh.Theholesinthisnetare153μmwide,whichis
bigenoughtoputtwoofyourhairsthroughonehole.(μmstandsformicrons.A
micronis1/1000thofamillimeter,sotheholesinthisnetare0.153mmwide.)
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c.
d.
e.
f.
Whatdoyouthinkwecancatchwiththisnet?Tinythings,Plankton
Whatwordsdescribeplankton?Drifting,floatingorganismslivinginthewater.
Doyouthinkplanktonareplantsoranimals?
Weclassifyplanktonintotwogroupsbasedonwheretheygettheirenergy:
i. Phytoplankton=gettheirenergyfromthesunthroughphotosynthesis.
Theyareverysmall;many,butnotall,aretoosmalltogetcaughtinthenet.
Theprefix“phyto”referstoplants,andphytoplanktonareplant-like,butthey
arenotplants;theyareProtistaorBacteria.Somephytoplanktonarecalled
“algae”especiallywhentheymultiplytolargenumbersandsometimeslarge
masses.ThesealgaearealsoeitherProtistaorBacteria.
ii. Zooplankton=gettheirenergybyeatingotherthings.Theyareoftenlarger
thanphytoplanktonandweexpecttocatchabunchoftheminthenet.This
netisdesignedtocapturezooplankton.Theprefix“zoo”meansanimaland
zooplanktonareanimal-like.MostareclassifiedasAnimals.
2. Demonstrationandpractice:Howtocollectasample(3min)
a. Ourchallengeistocollectplankton,buttheplanktonarereallysmallandspreadout,
andwedon’twanttogettoomuchwater.Plustheremightbedifferentspeciesatthe
bottomthanatthetop-differentkindsofplanktonliveatdifferentdepthsinthe
lake.
i. Phytoplankton–nearthesurfacesotheycanabsorbsunlight
ii. Zooplankton–lower,theyavoidlighttohidefrompredators.Atnightthey
maycomeuptofeedonthephytoplankton.Differentzooplanktonspecies
preferdifferentdepths.
b. Howdoyouthinkwecouldusetheplanktonnettogetthemostdiversesample?
i. Sometimesaplanktonnetistowedbehindaboattogetahorizontalplankton
tow,butthatprobablywon’tgetusadiversityofspecies.
ii. Wearegoingtolowerthenetstraightdownintothewater(noticetheweight
onthecodend)thenpullitstraightup.
c. Demonstratehowtheplanktonnetworks:
i. Attachthelinetothebridleusingabowline.(Tietheblueendofthelineto
theboat.)
ii. Lineismarkedevery5feet.Redmarksat25and75feet,andgreenmarksat
50feet.
iii. Pointoutthepartsofthenet:
1. Bridle-thepartweattachtotheline
2. Mesh–thepartthatfiltersthewater
3. Codend–thepartwheretheplanktoncollect
iv. Lowerthenetto5feetfromthebottom.Pausetomakesurethenetgetsall
thewaydownthere(sometimesitsinksslowly).Thenpullthenetstraightup.
• Collectyoursampleasclosetothebottomaspossiblewithout
collectingsediment.Someplanktononlyliveatthebottom,sothe
deeperwecangowiththenet,themorediversitywearelikelytofind.
• Loweringto5feetabovethebottommeansthecodendwilltouchthe
bottom.ThisisOKaslongasthenetopeningstaysoutofthesediment.
• Sometimesthenetdriftshorizontally,ratherthansinkingvertically.If
thenetdriftshorizontally,makeanoteonthedatasheet.
3. Studentsampling(6min)
Studentsworktogethertocollectthesample.Importanttasks:
a. Readthedepthmeter(remembertoadd4feet).
b. Confirmthedepthtowhichyouwilllowerplanktonnet,trytoget5feetfromthe
bottom.
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c.
Lowerandraisetheplanktonnet.
i. Givethenettimetosinkbeforehaulingitbackin.
ii. Therearemarksonthelineevery5feet.Theredmarksareat25and75feet.
Thegreenmarksareat50feet.
d. Withstudentswhoarenothandlingthenet,calculatethenumberofgallonsfiltered
togetthesample.Encouragementalmath.Everyfootoflinecorrespondsto16
gallonsofwaterfiltered.Ifthenetisloweredto50feet(50feet×16gallons/foot),
800gallonsofwaterarefiltered.Ifthenetisloweredto60feet(60feetx16
gallons/foot),960gallonsarefiltered.
e. Whenthenetcomesup,rinsethenetwiththehoseonthe“shower”settingso
planktonarenotdamaged.OronManitou,usesquirtbottlestorinseliberally.Hold
thenetoverthewaterandsprayfromthetopofthenetdown,beingsuretorinse
wellnearthecodend.
f. Unscrewthecodendandpourintocup(onestudentcanholdthecup).
i. Thecodendisweightedsothepourerneedstofocusonmaintainingcontrol
ofitwhilepouring(kidsseemtobenaturallygoodatthis)
ii. Pouroverthesolidsideofthecodend,ratherthanthroughthescreen,to
keepthewaterinthesample.
iii. Donotpokefingersthroughthescreen.Holdontothesolidportionsofthe
codendwhenunscrewing.
4. Rinsethecodendwiththehosetoremoveanystrayplanktonandkeepthescreencleanfor
thenextprogram.Rinsewatercanbepouredintothelake.
5. Examinethesamplevisually.Note:
a. Cloudinessandcolorofthewater
b. Anymovingcreaturesinthewater
6. Prepareforthepresentation.Askstudentstoplanwhattheywanttosharewithother
groups,reviewthematerial,andanswerquestions.(3min)
a. Logbook:Makesureallstudentshavetheinformationrecordedintheboxonthe
planktonpage.Tellstudentstheycanbegintheirpresentationbysharingthe
informationinthelogbookandaskastudenttopracticepresentingthispart.Other
studentscanlistenandjumpinwithcorrectionsandadditions.
i. Theequipment:Planktonnet,designedtofilterplanktonfromthewater
ii. Locationinthelake:Watercolumn,andgivedepthofthesample
iii. Volumeofwaterfiltered
iv. Typeofinformationcollected:Biological(observe&identifyplankton)
b. Thedevice:Letthestudentsexplainhowitworks.Astheinstructoryoucansay,“I’ll
holdtheplanktonnetwhileyouexplainhowitworks.”
i. Lowerthenetdown,bringbackup.
ii. Thenetfiltersplanktonoutofthewater.
iii. Planktoncollectsinthecodend.
c. Thesample:Askastudenttoshowthesampleandtellwhatwewillbedoingwithit.
i. Notehowtinytheorganismsareinthecup.
ii. Wewillidentifytheorganismswithamicroscope.
d. More:Ifthereistimeandyourgroupunderstandsthispart,askstudentstosharethe
differenttypesofplanktonandwhywedoaverticalplanktontow.
i. Phytoplanktondophotosynthesisandareusuallysmaller.
ii. Zooplanktoneatotherthingsandarebigger.
iii. Wedoaverticaltowbecauseplanktonliveatdifferentdepths.Averticaltow
allowsustogetlotsofdifferentspecies.Also,zooplanktonaremorelikelyto
befounddeeperinthewaterduringtheday;phytoplanktonpreferthe
surfacesotheycanaccesstothesun.
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IfyouareonaNext-Genprogram,thanksfordigestingallofthat.Youcandoit!
IfyouareonaTraditionalprogram,startreadingagainhere.
PREPARINGTHESAMPLES/CONTEXT
Onatraditionalprogram,theleadinstructorwillhandyoutheplanktonsampleafteritiscollected.
Atthistimeyoucangodownbelowtoprepareforteachingthestations.OnaNext-Genprogram
takethesamplebelowwhenthegroupstartstoraisetheanchor.
Itisagoodideatoexamineafewdropsofthesamplebeforethegrouparrivestogetasenseofwhat
thesamplecontains.Alsoyoumightwanttocreateandsetasideafewdropsthatcontainimportant
species,incasethegroupshappentoonlycreatedropsthathaveverylittletoexamine.
TEACHINGTHESTATION
EXAMININGLAKEHEALTH:CONTEXT
Itisimportanttosetuptheexperienceforthestudentssotheyknowwhattheyaregoingtodoand
whyitmatters.Maketheconnectionbetweenlakehealthandtheworkthestudentswillbedoing.
1. Ourtaskistolookatthehealthoftheplanktoncommunity.Whymightitmatterifthe
planktoncommunityishealthy?Planktonarethebaseofthefoodweb,sotheyinfluencehow
muchfoodthereisforalloftheotherorganismsinthelake.
2. Howwillweknowiftheplanktoncommunityishealthy?Studentsmayhavesomeideasabout
this,buttheymightalsoneedhelp.Thesearethethingswewilllookatatthisstation:
- Doesitlooklikewe’dexpectittolookthistimeofyear?Usethegraphsthatshow
planktonabundancefrompastyearsandaskstudentstopredictwhatwewould
expecttoseetoday.Planktonabundanceandspeciescompositionchanges
throughouttheyear.
- Istheregoodbiodiversity?Wearelookingtoseethattherearelotsofspecies,and
thatmanyspeciesarecommon.Inthespringthereareonlyafewspecies,butifall
ofthemarecommon,thenthebiodiversityisgood.Laterinthesummer,thereare
lotsofspecies,andifweseemanyofthemcommonly,thenthebiodiversityisgood.
Incontrastifweseeonespeciesalotandhavetoreallysearchtofindotherspecies,
thenthebiodiversityislacking.
- Arethereanyinvasivespecies?Thespinywaterflea(Bythotrepheslongimanis),
musselveligers,andthefish-hookwaterflea(Cercopagispengoi)aretheinvaders
wearelookingfor.Usethegraphstofigureoutwhenintheyeartheywillfirst
appear,andwhentheywillbemostabundant.
3. Todaywearelookingprimarilyatzooplankton.Whatarezooplankton?animal-likeplankton,
andusuallylarger,soeasytoseeandfuntowatchbecausetheymovearound
4. Mostphytoplanktonaretoosmalltobecapturedbythenet,butwemightseesomeofthe
colonialvarieties.Whatarephytoplankton?(plant-likeplankton,theymatteralotbecause
theybringenergyintothelakethroughphotosynthesisandcreateoxygenforthewaterandfor
theair.)
Themostimportantthingtoshareatthebeginningis:Ahealthyplanktoncommunity
includesadiversityofspecies.Ifwefindadiversityofspecies,andnoinvasivespecies,the
planktoncommunityisprobablyhealthy.
EXAMININGLAKEHEALTH:LOOKINGFORBIODIVERSITY
Althoughintroductoryconversationsareimportantforsettingthestageforthestation,itis
importanttogetstudentslookingattheplanktonassoonaspossible.ThefirstgoalofSchoolshipis
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toconnectstudentstotheGreatLakes,andthatwillbestbeaccomplishedthroughdiscoveryand
first-handexperienceswiththeplankton.Experimentwithhowyousharetheintroductorymaterial
sothatitisinterestingandusefultothestudentswhilealsogivingplentyoftimetoobserve
planktonfromthesample.
1. Whatmightweseetoday?Tryoneofthese:
a. Orientparticipantstothemaingroupsofzooplanktonshownontheposter–
copepods,cladocerans,rotifers,ostracods,mysids,andexotics.Eachoftheseare
largegroups,withdozensorhundredsofspecies.Forexample,therearethreetypes
ofcopepodsintheGreatLakes:calanoid,cyclopoid,andharpacticoid,andeachof
theseisrepresentedbymanyspecies.
b. UsetheplanktonIDcardstopointoutfeaturesofthespecieswewillbeseeingtoday.
Participantscanbechargedwithlookingforaparticularzooplanktontype–passout
planktoncardstoindividualstogivethemanidentificationtool.
c. Tohelpstudentsunderstandmagnificationshowthemthebackofapennywiththe
nakedeyeandthenplaceitunderthemicroscope.AbeLincolninthemonumentwill
beclearlyvisibleundermagnification,butinconspicuouswiththenakedeye.The
planktonwillbemagnified10or30times,butwillappearmuchlargersincethe
screenincreasesthesizeevenmore.
2. Observeplanktonandidentifyspecies
a. Makeanefforttoexaminefivedropsofthesampleforeachstudentgroup.Ask
studentstoputdropsofthesampleontoapetridish–eachstudentcancreateadrop
ortwo.Mixthesamplebeforecollectingdrops,orgrabdropsfromdifferentplacesin
thecuptotargetdifferentspecies(cladoceransareoftenonthesurface).
b. Beginbyobservingthedropunderlowmagnification.Thiswillmakeiteasytoknow
howmuchisinthedrop,ifanything.Systematicallyexaminethedrop,panningback
andforth.Whenyoufindsomething,centerit,getitinfocus,thenincreasethe
magnificationsothedetailsofthecreatureareeasytosee.
i. Switchingbackandforthbetweenlowandhighmagnificationcanallowyou
toviewmoredropsinlesstime,andillustratesthevalueofdifferentlevelsof
magnification.
ii. Youmightpreferonelevelofmagnificationtoanother.Dowhatfeels
comfortable.
iii. Adjustlightingtomaximizecontrast.Inmostcasesthismeansbacklighting
thesample(thelightcomesfrombelowthesample)andturningdownthe
brightnesssothesampleisnotwashedoutbylight.Somepeopleprefer
lightingfromaboveonly.Experimentwiththelightingtofindwhatworks
best.
c. Whenyoufindsomething,usetheplanktoncardsand/orpostertoidentifyit.Most
zooplanktonyouseewillbefairlyeasytocategorize.
d. Ifyoufindsomethingthatisnoteasytoidentify:
i. Asktheleadinstructorforhelp.TheLeadwantstoseeeverythingunusual,
andithelpsherorhimkeepuptokeeponplanktonID.
ii. Takeapictureand/orvideooftheorganismandshowittosomeoneatthe
endoftheprogram.
iii. Recordasunknown.Pleasedonotguessattheidentificationbecauseweare
tryingtocollectaccuratedata.
iv. Drawapictureifyoucan.
3. Planktonfunfacts!
a. Whileobservingplanktonsprinkleininterestinginformationaboutthespeciesyou
observeandaboutplanktoningeneral.
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b. Phytoplanktonaremajorcontributorstothedissolvedoxygeninthelake.Theymake
somuchthatitevencomesoutofthewaterandintotheair,sowecanbreathe
oxygencreatedbyphytoplanktontoo.
c. Planktoncontainseveralinvasivespecies.Talkaboutthemifyouseethem:
i. Musselveligers:thesearethejuvenilesofzebraandquaggamussels,asingle
musselwillmakeabout40,000veligerseachtimeitreproduces,anditwill
reproduceseveraltimesperyear.
ii. Spinywaterflea(Bythotrepheslongimanis):theseareverycommonaftermid
summer.Theyarecladocerans,andarechallengingtoeatbecauseoftheir
longtail.Theyarevoraciouspredatorsandcompetewithothersforsmall
planktonprey.
iii. Fishhookwaterflea(Cercopagispengoi):thesearerarelyseenonthe
schoolship,butgoodtoknowabout.
d. Theorange-redregionsinmanyplanktonindividualsareoildroplets.Theyareuseful
indicatorsofplanktonhealth–forscientistswhoknowhowtoreadthisinformation!
Ingeneral,ifaplanktoncanproduceanoildroplet,orenergystorage,theyarein
goodhealth.However,manytoxinsaccumulateintheoilypartsofanorganism,and
thisiswheretoxinswilllurkifpresent.
e. TherecentdiscoveryofmicroplasticsintheGreatLakeshasraisedconcernsabout
newroutesforcontaminantstoenterthefoodweb.Microplasticscontainplasticizers
thatcanbeharmfultolivingthings,andtheycanabsorbtoxinsfromthewater.Since
microplasticsaresosmall,planktoncaneasilyingestthem.Harmfulchemicalscan
putplanktonatriskandcanbetransferredandconcentratedupthefoodchainas
planktonareeatenbylargerorganisms.
4. Measuringbiodiversity
a. Biodiversityinvolvescountingthenumberoforganismtypes,andthenumberof
individualsofeachtype.Wearegoingtodoboth.
b. Countandidentifyalloftheindividualsfoundineachdrop.Trytoexamine5drops
witheachgroup.
c. Recordspeciesandcountsinthelogbook.
d. Usethesecountstocalculaterelativeabundanceforeachspecies.Ifyoulookat5
drops,andCalanoidcopepodswerefoundin4ofthem,therelativeabundanceis
80%(4/5=0.8)
e. Astheinstructoryouwillbelookingatcloseto25drops,whichshouldgiveyoua
relativelygoodideaoftheplanktonabundancesinthesample.
5. Analysisofresults:Didwefindadiversityoforganisms?Whatdoestoday’splankton
samplesuggestaboutlakehealth?
a. Ifwefoundadiversityofspecies,theforagefishcommunityisprobablyhealthy.A
diversesamplehasmanyspeciesandseveralofthemarecommon.
b. Ask:Howmanytypesofplanktondidwefind?Howdoesthiscomparetothenumber
oftypeswewouldexpectthistimeofyear?Countupthenumberofplanktontypes
andcomparethistothenumberofplanktontypeswefoundlastyearatthistime.
c. Ask:Didwefindadiversityoforganismsintheplanktonsample?Countupthe
numberofzooplanktontypesandcalculaterelativeabundanceforeachtype.Ifseveral
typesarecommon(>50%ofthedropscontainedthem)andthenumberoftypesis
aboutwhatwewouldexpectthistimeofyear,thenwefoundadiversityofspecies.
d. Ask:Howmanytypeswerereallycommon?Howmanytypeswererare?(Thisisone
wayoflookingatdiversity-adiversesamplewillhaveseveralcommontypes,not
justone)Rarelymeanstheywerefoundinjustonedrop.Commonlymeanstheywere
foundinmultipledrops,probablythreeormore.Lookatthepercentagesyoucalculated
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tolookforpatterns.Wasthereonetypefoundinallormostdrops,andtherestofthe
typesyoufoundpresentinjustonedrop-thiswouldbepoordiversity.ORWereseveral
typespresentinmostdrops-thiswouldbegooddiversity.
e. Ifwefindinvasivespeciesthereareprobablysomeproblemsintheecosystem.
f. Ask:Didwefindanyinvasivespecies?Veligersandthespinywaterfleaaretypical
invasivespeciesontheSchoolship.
g. Ask:Howcommonlydidweseeinvasivespeciesinourdrops/thewholecup?Does
thismeantheplanktoncommunityisunhealthy?Itisraretoseeinvasivespeciesin
thespring,sostudentsmightconcludethattheplanktoncommunityishealthy.Point
outtheimportanceofobservingyear-roundtogetagoodpictureoftheplankton
community.Additionally,theabundanceofinvasivesmightbeevidencetosupportan
argumentfororagainsthealthoftheplanktoncommunity.
i. Highabundance(>50%ofthedrops)wouldindicatepoorhealth.Low
abundance(<20%ofthedrops)wouldbesomethingtomonitor,butmightnot
becauseforconcern.
ii. Spinywaterfleasrarelyendupindropsbecausetheyaresolarge,soitis
importanttocountthenumberofspinywaterfleasinthewholecup.Lateinthe
summertherecanbedozensinthecup-thisiscauseforconcern.
h. Ask:Whatdoyouthinktheplanktonsampleindicatesaboutlakehealth?Didwefind
adiversityoforganisms?Thisquestionasksstudentstobringtogetherinformation
aboutthenumberofzooplanktontypestheysaw,theabundanceofeachtype,and
presenceofinvasivespeciestomakeajudgment.Thisisnotaneasytask.Doyourbest
toguidethemthroughthethinkingprocess,andaskthemtogiveevidencefortheir
conclusions.Ahealthysampleincludes:
a. noinvasivespecies;
b. planktonpresentinmostofthedrops*;
c. twoormoreplanktontypesfoundcommonly;
d. severalspecies
*Ifyoufinditdifficulttofindplanktonatall,thisisasignthattheplanktonabundance
islowandindicatespoorhealth.
EXAMININGLAKEHEALTH:HOWDOESTHISAFFECTME?
Formanypeople,theirfirstencounterwithzooplanktonisontheSchoolship-beforethistheynever
knewplanktonexisted.So,wehaveagreatopportunitytoimpactthewaypeoplethinkaboutand
rememberthesetinycreatures.Inallofourstations,wewanttoemphasizethewaytheGreatLakes
influencehumanwell-being;whenthelakesarehealthy,humanwell-beingimproves.Theseare
someofthewaysahealthyplanktoncommunityisimportantforhumans:
1. Phytoplanktonperformphotosynthesis,whichcreatesoxygen.50-85%oftheoxygenon
Earthiscreatedbyphytoplankton,andasmostareaware,weneedoxygenforsurvival.
2. Zooplanktonareimportantfoodformanysmalllakecreatures,suchasinsects,mussels,and
otherinvertebratesinthebenthiczone,andsmallfish.Smallfishgrowtobebiggerfish,and
allofthepredatorsonplanktonarefoodforfish.Theabundanceandqualityoftheplankton
hasanimpactontheabundanceandqualityofthefishavailableforhumanconsumption.
3. Thequantityofplanktoninthewaterhasimportantimpactsonhumans:
a. Whenphytoplanktonbecomestoonumerous(usuallyduetoexcessnutrientinput),
algalbloomsresult.Algalbloomscanresultinanoxicareasofthelake,andiftheright
typesofphytoplanktonarepresent-certainvarietiesofcyanonbacteria-thebloom
canbetoxictohumansandotherwildlife,includingdogs.Theseharmfulalgalblooms
(HABs)costcommunitiestouristandrecreationdollars,andincreasethecostof
watertreatmentsystems.
b. Whenphytoplanktonbecomestooscarce(usuallyduetooverconsumptionbyzebra
andquaggamussels)waterclarityincreases.Superclearwaterisbeautifultobehold
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anddrawstouriststotheregion.Howeverthisclearwateralsoresultsinincreased
algaeandplantgrowthonthebottomofthelake,whichcanhavesomeofthesame
effectsattributedtoHABs:anoxiczonesandtoxinproductionthatcanbeharmfulto
wildlife.InthiscasethetoxinisBotulismtypeE.
4. Fishavailability,waterclarity,andHABsallhavepowerfuleconomicconsequences,so
planktontoohasaneconomicvalue.Planktonpresentintherightamountsandtypesis
economicallybeneficialtotheregion.
TEACHINGTIPS:
Singledropsofwateraregenerallyeasiesttoworkwith.Smallerdropsdon’tgivetheplanktonmuch
roomtomove,sothereislesschasingthemaround,andlesssearching.Smallerdropstendtobe
moreshallow,whichmeansitiseasiertokeepplanktoninfocusbecausetheycan’tgoupanddown
verymuch.Finally,smalldropsarelesslikelytomovearoundthedishiftheshipheels.Thatsaid,
therewillbetimeswhenyouwanttocreateasmallpoolratherthanasingledrop,experimentuntil
youfindwhatworksforyou.
Youreasewithteachingthestationwillincreasewhenyoubecomereallycomfortablewiththe
microscope.Herearesometips:
1. Alwaysbeginatthelowestpower.Thismakesitmucheasiertolocateorganismsinthe
water.Atlowpoweryoucanoftenseemostofthedropallatonce,thisallowsyoutotarget
theorganismsyouwanttoexamine.Youmayneedtoadjustthefocustofindtheplankton.
2. Next,scanthewaterdropsystematicallybymovingthedish,lookingforplankton.
3. Centerthescopeonwhatyouwanttoseeandadjustfocusuntilitiscrisp.
4. Adjustthelightingtoincreasecontrast.Oftenthismeansturningdownthelightintensity,
andlightingfrombelow.
5. Whentheimagelooksgood,increasethemagnificationandrefocus.Adjustlightingas
needed.(Hopefullyyourcreaturehasnotdartedaway!)
Somepeopleliketokeepthemagnificationconstant,othersgobackandforthalot.Themore
practiceyouget,theeasieritwillbetogobackandforth;startatlowpowerforeachnewdrop,then
increasemagnificationwhenyouwanttolookatsomethingindetail.
Considerlettingstudentsmanthemicroscope.
YoucanslowdownthemovementoftheplanktonbyusingProtoslo.Addadroptoincreasethe
thicknessofthewater.Theplanktonwillbemucheasiertoobserve.
SAFETYCONCERNS
Themicroscopeisanexpensivepieceofequipment.Bemindfulwhenusingitandaskforhelpbefore
makingrepairsorattemptingtocleanit.
PUTAWAYSTATIONMATERIALS
Ifthereisaprogramafterthisonedothesetasks:
□ Completedatasheetanddeliverittotheleadinstructor.Confirmidentification,ifquestions.
□ Turnoffmicroscopeandtelevision.
□ Returnplanktontothelake,rinsecup,andputinthelimnologybin.
□ Wipeoutallpetridishessotheyarereadyforthenextinstructor.
□ Accountforalllaminatedpagesandorganizethemneatly.
□ Organizematerialssotheyarereadytogoforthenextprogram.
□ Alertleadinstructorifmaterialsaremissing,broken,orneedtoberestocked.
Ifthisisthelastprogramofthedayalsodothesethings:
□ Putmaterialsneatlyintothebin.
□ Storebinbelowtheplanktonbench.
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LOGBOOK
Theboxcontainsinformationfromthe
samplingtime.StudentsintheNextGenprogramcanrefertodatathey
recordherewhentheyteachtheir
peersaboutsamplingforplankton.
Fillthesepartsinduringthestation:
Lookatonedropatatime,markthe
boxifaplanktontypewaspresentin
eachdrop.
Calculatethepercentageofdropsthat
containedeachplanktontype.
Countthenumberofspinywaterfleas
inthewholecup.
Noteifphytoplanktonwerefound.
Answerthesequestionstodetermineif
thesampleishealthy/diverseornot.A
diverseandhealthysamplewillcheck
allthreeboxes.
DATACOLLECTION
1. Beforethegrouparrives:filloutthetopportionofthedatasheet:yourname,thedate,timeof
day,andsamplinglocation/waterbody.Theshadedboxeswillbefilledinbytheoffice,orare
usedwhenmultiplesamplesarecollectedonasingletrip
2. Duringthelimnologystation:Recorddepththenetwasloweredtoandthestationdepth(the
numberoffeetofwateroverthebottomofthelake).Ideallythesamplewillstart5feetfrom
thebottomofthelake.Notesaboutthesamplingarewelcome.
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3.
Afterthelearningstations:
● Checktheboxesforeachspeciesyoufound.Writeinspeciesthatarenotlisted.
● Recordthepercentageofalldropsthatcontainedeachspecies.Youprobablylookedat
25ormoredrops.Whatpercentageofallofthosedropscontainedeachspecies?Itisnot
necessarytorecorddatafromeverystationanddothemathtogetprecisenumbers
(unlessyouwantto).Makeyourbestestimatebasedoneverythingyouremember
seeing.Ifyoulookedat25drops,thistablewillhelpyoutranslatethenumberofdrops
foreachspeciestopercentages:
Drops
Percentage
Drops
Percentage
1
4%
10
40%
2
8%
12
48%
3
12%
15
60%
4
16%
18
72%
5
20%
20
80%
7
28%
23
92%
● CountthetotalnumberofBythotrephes(spinywaterfleas)inthewholecup.Thewhole
cuprepresentsallofthewaterwefiltered,whichmightbe800gallonsormore.Your
countwillgiveusagoodestimateofthenumberofBythotrephespergalloninthewater.
Writetheexactnumberifyoucancountalloftheindividuals.Studentscanbeabighelp
incountingsincetheyhavesuchgoodeyes.
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BLANKDATASHEET:
PLANKTON
Data entered by:
Entry checked by:
Filled in by (Plankton Instructor):
AM / PM /
Eve
Date:
Latitude: N
Trip #:
Longitude: W
Sampling Location:
Time:
Station #:
Plankton Net
Protocol: 5 ft from the bottom
Sample depth (ft):
Station depth (ft):
☐ Check if Plankton Trap ☐ Check if 63 micron Net
Directions: Mix sample, draw up an eyedropper of water. Place individual drops on petri dish and examine the
entirety of each drop. Record percentage of drops in which each species was found. Add A/C/R data if desired.
Notes
Notes
Species
% of drops Abundant/Common/Rare
Species
% of drops Abundant/Common/Rare
o Bosmina
o Asplanchna
o Calanoid Copepod
o Colonial Rotifer
o Cyclopoid Copepod
o Keratella
o Copepod Nauplius
o Leptodora
o Veliger
o Bythotrephes
o Ostracoda
Record
count below
Abouthowmany Bythotrephes (spiny water fleas) are in the entire sample?
Notes:
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VOCABULARY
Algae:ageneraltermthatreferstoanythinggreenishlivinginthewater.Technicallyalgaeare
photosynthesizingprotists,whichincludemostphytoplankton,Cladophora,Chara,andmostmarine
seaweeds.
Algalbloom:arapidincreaseinalgae(usuallyphytoplankton)populationsize.
Anoxic:conditionsthatlackoxygen
Bacteria:verytinysingle-celledorganismsthatlackinternalmembranes.Thoughttobethefirst
typeoflifeform.(Archeaareanothergroupofsingle-celledorganismsthatlackinternal
membranes.Althoughsuperficiallysimilartobacteriathemake-upoftheircellularstructuresmake
themfundamentallydifferentorganisms).
Benthiczone:theregionofabodyofwaterthatisatthebottom.
Biodiversity:determinedbylookingatboththenumberofspeciespresentandtherelative
abundanceofeachspecies,orhowcommoneachspeciesis.Highbiodiversity=manyspeciesand
eachspeciesequallyrepresented.Lowbiodiversity=fewspeciesandonlyonespeciesascommon,
therestarerare.
BotulismTypeE:botulismisanillnessthatcausesmuscleparalysisandiscausedbythetoxin
producedbythebacteriumClostridiumbotulinum.C.botulinumisanativespeciesthatlivesinanoxic
conditionsinthelakebottom.
Community:referstoacollectionoflivingorganismsofdifferentspecies.
Ecosystem:groupoflivingandnon-livingthingsthatinteractwitheachother.
Exoticspecies:aspecieslivingoutsideofitsnativerange.
Foodweb:networkoffeedingrelationshipsbetweenorganismsinanecosystem.
HarmfulAlgalBloom(HAB):analgalbloomthatproducestoxins,createsanoxicconditions,is
smelly,fowlsbeaches,clogsfishgillsorotherwisecausesharmtohumansorotherorganisms.
Humanwell-being:referstothehealth,happiness,andprosperityofhumans.
Invasivespecies:exoticspeciesthatcausesorislikelytocauseeconomicorenvironmentalharmor
harmtohumanhealth.
Micron:oneone-thousandthofamillimeter(0.001millimeters)
Microplastic:tinypiecesofplasticsmallerthan5mminanydimension.Commoninmost
waterways,andpotentiallyharmfultowildlife.
Organism:anindividuallivingthing,suchasabacterium,archean,fungus,protist,plant,oranimal.
Photosynthesis:theprocessthatusescarbondioxideandwatertoconvertenergyfromsunlight
intoenergyusedbyorganismstofunction.Plants,Protists,andBacteria(someormanyspeciesin
eachgroup)canphotosynthesize.
Phytoplankton:planktonthatperformphotosynthesis.Althoughplant-like,noneareactually
plants.Allareprotistsorbacteria.
Plankton:organismsthatfloat,drift,orweaklyswiminthewater.IntheGreatLakestheyarevery
small.PlanktoncomesfromaGreekwordmeaning“drifter”
Planktonnet:deviceusedtofilterplanktonoutofthewater,consistingofveryfinemesh,funnel
shapednetattachedtoaringatthewideend,andacollectioncupatthenarrowend.
Protist:single-celledorganismsthatarenotplants,animals,fungi,bacteria,orarcheans.Some
specieslivesinglyandotherslivecolonially.
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Secchidepth:thedepthatwhichacircularblackandwhitediskloweredinthewatercannolonger
beseen.Aclassicmethodoftrackingwaterclarity.
Springbloom:manylakesnormallyexperienceanalgalbloominthespring,correspondingtoa
releaseofnutrientsfromthebottomofthelakeasthewaterwarms.
Zooplankton:planktonthatmusteatotherorganismstolive.Notonlyaretheyanimal-like,most
areactuallyanimals!
BACKGROUNDINFORMATION
PLANKTONSAMPLING
AboardtheSchoolship,wesampleplanktoninaverticaltowusingaplanktonnet.(Other
researchersmighttowaplanktonnetwithaboattocollectahorizontalplanktonsample.)Ourtows
beginclosetothebottomofthelakeandendatthesurface.InSuttonsBay,thismeanssampling
from50-60feettothesurfaceandinWestGrandTraverseBaythismeanssamplingfrom60-70feet
tothesurface.Eventhoughthebottommightbemuchdeeper,westandardizeoursampledepthsso
wecancomparesamplestooneanother.
Therearetworeasonsforadeepverticaltow.Thefirstistofilteralargevolumeofwaterinorderto
increasethenumberofzooplanktoncaptured(wefilterapproximately16gallonsofwaterperfoot
ofverticaltow).Theotherreasonisthatdifferentspeciesofzooplanktonmaybefoundatdifferent
depthsinthewatercolumn.Bypassingthroughmanydifferentdepths,thenetpotentiallycollects
thewidestpossiblevarietyofspecies.
Ourplanktonnethasadiameterof20inchesandameshsizeof153μm(μm=microns;1μm=
1/1000mm;153μm=0.153mm).Thismeshsizeallowsmostofthephytoplanktontopassthrough
thenet,whileretainingthezooplankton.Mostphytoplanktonaresmallerthan150microns,
althoughsomearelargerandwewillfindthemontheSchoolship.Mostzooplanktonaresmaller
than1000microns(1mm)inlength,althoughsomecanbeupto25mmlong(ex:Mysisrelicta).
Wecouldalsocollectplanktonwithaplanktontrap.Aplanktontrapconsistsofaplexiglassboxthat
cantrapafixedvolumeofwater(30liters)fromaspecificdepth.Theadvantageofaplanktontrapis
thatyoucanfindoutwhatplanktonislivingataparticulardepth.Withaplanktonnetyoualways
samplearangeofdepths,fromthesurfacetowhateverdepthyouchoose.
PLANKTONTYPES
Planktonareaquaticorganismsthatfloat,drift,orweaklyswiminthewater.IntheGreatLakes
planktonareallverysmall,manyofthemmicroscopic.Phytoplanktonareplanktonthatperform
photosynthesis.Inthiswaytheyareplant-like,butfewofthemareactuallyplants.Most
phytoplanktonareprotistsorbacteria.Themostcommonphytoplanktonarediatoms,whichoften
havegeometricalshapesandsilicashells.Phytoplanktonmustregulatetheirbuoyancyinorderto
stayinthephoticzone,wherethereisenoughlightforphotosynthesistooccur.
Zooplanktonareanimal-likeplankton,andinfactalmostallofthemaretechnicallyanimals.Most
zooplanktoncanbeclassifiedascopepods,cladoderans,androtifers.Copepodsandcladoceransare
crustaceans,androtifersareintheirownanimalgroup.Zooplanktonwillalsomoveupanddownin
thewatercolumnbyregulatingbuoyancy,orbyusingswimmingappendages.Manyzooplankton
willmovetodeeperwaterinthedaytoavoidbeingseenbypredators,andthenriseintheevening
toconsumephytoplanktonatthesurface.Notallzooplanktonfollowthispattern,andthepatternsof
zooplanktondailymigrationsareyettobeuntangledwithanyclarity,butthispatterndoesplayout
forsomespecies.
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Picoplanktonareaspecialgroupofplankton,definedbyasizelessthan3microns.Theyinclude
smallphytoplankton,bacteria,andprotozoa.Picoplanktonaccountfor44%ofprimaryproductionin
LakeMichigan,butarefartoosmalltobeseenontheship’smicroscope.
PLANKTONANDTHEFOODWEB
Phytoplanktonarethefoundationoftheaquaticfoodweb.Theybringenergytotheecosystemby
capturingsunlightenergyinphotosynthesis,andincorporatenutrientsfromthewatersuchas
nitrogen,phosphorus,andcarbon.Thequantityofphytoplanktonisstronglyinfluencedbynutrient
availability.
Zooplanktonrepresentthenextlevelofthefoodweb.Althoughafewspeciescantargetandchase
specificpreyitems,zooplanktonaresuchweakswimmersthatnearlyallofthemfeedbyrandomly
bumpingintothings,whichtheywilleithergrabwiththeirappendagesorfilteroutofthewater.
Whilesomezooplanktoneatonlyphytoplankton,otherseatonlyotherzooplankton,andsomeeat
bothphytoplanktonandzooplankton.Thereisanentirefoodwebintheplanktonalone!
Smallzooplanktonareeatenbypredatoryzooplanktonandsmallforagefishlikespottailshinersand
sticklebacks,andearlylife-stagefishlikesalmonandtrout.Asthebaseofthefoodweb,theplankton
(bothphytoplanktonandzooplankton)areveryimportanttotheGreatLakesecosystem.Ifthereisa
declineintheabundanceofplankton,forexample,thatwillbereflectedthroughouttheentirefood
web–allthewayuptogamefishlikelaketroutandsalmon.
PLANKTONSEASONALCHANGES
Differentzooplanktonareabundantatdifferenttimesoftheyear.Manycopepodsoverwinteras
adults,whereasmostotherspeciesoverwinteraseggs.Thismeansourspringsamplescontain
primarilycopepods-CalanoidandCyclopoidcopepodscarryingeggsareespeciallyabundantin
May.CladoceranssuchasBosminastarttoappearinlateMayandJuneasthewaterwarms.Rotifers
arecommoninthesummerandtheexoticspinywaterflea(Bythotrephes)doesn’tappearin
zooplanktonsamplesuntilmid-August.
REFERENCES
Auer,M.T.,R.P.Canale,andP.L.Freedman.1976.TheLimnologyofGrandTraverseBay,Lake
Michigan.UniversityofMichiganSeaGrantProgram,AnnArbor,MI.
Balcer,M.D.,N.L.Korda,andS.I.Dodson.1984.ZooplanktonoftheGreatLakes.TheUniversityof
WisconsinPress,Madison,WI.
Needham,J.G.,andP.R.Needham.1962.TheGuidetotheStudyofFreshWaterBiology.Holden-Day,
Inc.,SanFrancisco,CA.
Pennak,R.W.2001.FreshwaterInvertebratesoftheUnitedStates4thEdition.JohnWiley&Sons,Inc.,
NewYork,NY.
Raven,P.H.,L.R.Berg,andG.B.Johnson.1998.Environment2ndEdition.SaundersCollegePublishing.
Reid,G.K.2001.PondLife(GoldenGuide).GoldenGuidesfromSt.Martin'sPress,NewYork,NY.
WarnerD.M.andB.M.Lesht.2015Relativeimportanceofphosphorus,invasivemusselsandclimatefor
patternsinchlorophyllaandprimaryproductioninlakesMichiganandHuron.Freshwater
Biology,60,1029–1043.
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INTERNETSITESOFINTEREST
BasicCopepodBiology(EnchantedLearning):
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/invertebrates/crustacean/Copepod.html(basic
copepodbiology)
GreatlakesCopepods(USGS)
http://www.glsc.usgs.gov/greatlakescopepods/MainMenu.php
AndImagebasedkeytothezooplanktonofNorthAmerica(CenterforFreshwaterBiology,
UniversityofNewHampshire)http://cfb.unh.edu/cfbkey/html/index.html
Bythotrephesinformation(MinnesotaSeaGrant):
http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/exotics/spiny.html
Fishhookwaterflea(Cercopagispengoi)factsheet(UniversityofWisconsinSeaGrant):
http://seagrant.wisc.edu/Home/Topics/InvasiveSpecies/InvasiveSpeciesFactSheets/Details.aspx?P
ostID=1963
Spinywaterflea(Bythotrepheslongimanus)factsheet(UniversityofWisconsinSeaGrant):
http://seagrant.wisc.edu/Home/Topics/InvasiveSpecies/InvasiveSpeciesFactSheets/Details.aspx?P
ostID=1965
TypesofPlanktonintheGreatLakes(MichiganSeaGrant):
http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/lessons/lessons/by-broad-concept/life-science/data-sets2/types-of-plankton-in-the-great-lakes/
DIAGRAMS&RELEVANTDATA
ZooplanktonPronunciationKey(Page18)
CommonZooplanktonFoundinGrandTraverseBay-Overview/Poster(Page19)
SeasonalSuccessionofZooplanktonAbundance(Page20)
PlanktonPopulationIndexandSuttonsBaycatchgraphs(Page21)
PlanktonBiodiversityinSuttonsBaygraph(Page22)
CommonZooplanktonFoundinGrandTraverseBay–Descriptions(Page23)
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ZOOPLANKTONPRONUNCIATIONKEY
Thiskeywasproducedinresponsetoseveralvolunteerrequests.Itisbynomeansaformal
pronunciationkey–differentscientistsmaypronouncethesenamesinslightlydifferentways.However,
itisanattemptataguidetohelpnewinstructorswithsomeoftheunusualnames.
ThepronunciationISEAcreatedisinthefirstparentheses,whereeachsyllableisseparatedbyadash,
andtheemphasisisonthesyllablewrittenincapitalletters.Whenavailable,theofficialpronunciation
(obtainedfromthedictionary)isinthesecondparentheses.
Cladocerans(cla-DAH-sir-ans)(klədäs′ərən)
Bosmina(bos-MINE-a)
Bythotrephes(bith-o-TREF-ees)
Cercopagis(sir-co-PAY-gus)
Chydorus(keye-DOOR-us)
Daphnia(DAFF-knee-a)
Diaphanasoma(die-a-FAN-a-so-ma)
Holopedium(whole-a-PED-ee-um)
Leptodora(lep-ta-DOOR-a)
Polyhemus(poly-ee-FEEM-us)
Copepods(KO-pe-pods)(kō′pəpäd′)
Calanoidcopepods(CAL-a-noidKO-pe-pods)
Copepodnauplii(Ko-pe-podNOP-lee-eye)
Cyclopoidcopepods(SIGH-clo-poidKO-pe-pods)
Harpacticoidcopepods(har-PACK-ti-coidKO-pe-pods)
Mysids(MICE-ids)(mī′sid)
Mysisrelicta(MICE-isre-LICK-ta)
Ostracods(OS-tra-cods)(äs′trəkäd′)
Rotifers(WROTE-i-furs)(rōt′əfər)
Asplanchna(as-PLANCH-na)
Conochilus(con-o-CHILL-us)
Keratella(CARE-a-tell-a)
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COMMONZOOPLANKTONFOUNDINGRANDTRAVERSEBAY
ThemaingroupsofzooplanktonfoundinGrandTraverseBayare:Copepods,Cladocerans,Rotifers,
Ostracods,Mysids,andexoticspecies.
A.Copepods
1. CalanoidCopepods
- Longantennae(aslongasthebody)
- Singleeggsac(ifpresent)
- Eyenotvisible
- Numerouscaudalsetae(hairs)ontail
- Filter-feeder
- Example:Diaptomussp.
- VerycommonaboardtheSchoolship
2. CyclopoidCopepods
- Shortantennae(lessthanhalfofthelengthofthebody)
- Twolateraleggsacs(ifpresent)
- Singleeye
- Fourcaudalsetae(hairs)ontail
- Singleeye
- Raptorialfeeder
- Example:Cyclopssp.
- VerycommonaboardtheSchoolship
3. HarpacticoidCopepods
- Veryshortantennae
- Metasome(headandthorax)andurosome
(abdomenandgenitalsegment)arenot
distinctlyseparate
- Benthiccopepod
- RareaboardtheSchoolship
4. Copepodnauplii
- Earlylifehistorystage(larvalstage)ofall
copepods
- Unabletodistinguishatthisstagewhichtype
ofcopepod
- Copepodnaupliigothroughseveralmoltsbeforereachingan
"adult-like"stagecalledacopepodite,whichmoltsseveralmore
timesbeforereachingadulthood(adultsdonotmolt)
- CommonaboardtheSchoolship
B.Cladocerans
1. Bosminasp.
- Bodyenclosedinafoldedshellorcarapace
- Largefirstantennae
- Appearstohaveaverylongbeak
- Twoshortspinesonposterior
- Oftenbecomestrappedonthesurface(surfacetension)
- Filter-feeders
- BecominglesscommonaboardtheSchoolship
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2. Daphniasp.
- Single,longposteriorspine
- Headintheshapeofahelmet
- Firstantennaesmallorinconspicuous
- Diurnalmigrationinwatercolumn
- Filter-feeders
- Unlikeinthepast,veryrareaboardtheSchoolship
3. Chydorussp.
- Verysphericalorroundinappearance
- Lackslong‘beak’ofDaphnia
- LacksspinesonposteriorthatareevidentonDaphnia
- VeryrareaboardtheSchoolship
4. Holopediumgibberum
- Largefirstantennaethatendin3longhairs(setae)
- Veryhumpbacked
- Gelatinoussheathmaycoveranimal
- VeryrareaboardtheSchoolship
5. Leptodorakindtii
- Long,transparentbody(upto18mm.)
- Carapacedoesnotcoverbody
- Verylargeswimmingantennae
- Legsclearlysegmented
- CommonaboardtheSchoolship-butyoumustlookfor
them!
6. Polyphemuspediculus
- Verylargecompoundeyethatdominateshead
- Smallswiimmingantennae
- Carapacedoesnotcoverbody
- Legsclearlysegmented
- RareaboardtheSchoolship
7. Diaphanosomabirgei
- Roundedhead
- Largesecondantennae
- VeryrareaboardtheSchoolship
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C.Rotifers
Rotifersaremicroscopicanimalsthataretransparentandareoftenmistakenforsingle-celled
animals.Theirnamecomesfromtherotatingmovementoftheirhair-likeprojections(cilia)that
createacurrenttobringfoodintotheirmouths.Rotifersfeedonavarietyofthings–somefeedon
algae,somepierceplantstemsandsuckoutthejuices,andothersarepredators.Thethreecommon
typesofrotifersfoundintheSchoolshipsamplesareAsplanchna,Keratella,andConochilus.
Asplanchnalookslikeaminiatureplasticbaggyfloatingthroughthesample.Keratellaismuch
smallerandpointedthanAsplanchna.Conochilusisacolonialrotifer–althoughitappearstobea
singleorganism,itisactuallyacollectionoftube-likeanimalsjoinedtogetherbymucussecreted
fromtheirtails.
Asplanchna
-
Keratella
Conochilus(colonial)
AllthreerotifersareverycommonaboardtheSchoolship
D.Ostracods
- Bodyenclosedbytwoovalshells
- Limbsemergefromshellswhenswimming
- Headnotdistinct
- CommonaboardtheSchoolship
E.Mysids
Mysisrelicta
- Shrimp-likeappearance
- Obvioussegmentation
- Deepwaterglacialrelict
- Veryimportantfoodsourceforforagefishandgamefish
- Diurnalmigrationsthroughthewatercolumn
- AlthoughcommoninGrandTraverseBay,mysids
arerarelyfoundinthezooplanktonsamplebecause
theyarelarge,proficientswimmersandcanmore
easilyavoidtheplanktonnet
F.ExoticSpecies
1.
ZebraandQuaggaMusselVeligers
- Nolegs!(comparetoOstracodswhodohavelegs)
- Larvalformofthezebramussel
- Afterdriftingfor3-4weeks,theysettleontofirmsubstratesand
associatewithotherzebramusselsinclumps
- CommonaboardtheSchoolship
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Next-Gen and Traditional Schoolship Instructor Manual
2.
3.
Bythotrephescederstroemi(spinywaterflea)
- Carnivorous–Eatsotherzooplankton(Daphnia,rotifers,etc.)Theydirectlycompete
withsmallfishforfood.
- IntroducedintotheGreatLakesfromEurope,mostlikelyintheballastwaterof
Europeanfreighters.
- Smallheadwithalargeeyefilledwithblackpigment.
- Fourpairsoflegs,andthefirstpairismuchlongerthantheothers.
- Long,spinytail.
o Likeothercrustaceans,Bythotrephesshedsitsexoskeleton,butitkeepstheportion
thatcoversthetailspine.Thismeansthatitisneverwithoutitslongspinytail.
o Scientistsbelievethisfactsuggeststhetailhasanimportantprotectivefunction.
o YoungfishhavegreatdifficultyswallowingBythotrephesbecauseofthespine.Asa
result,Bythotrephesarerarelyfoundinthestomachsoffishlessthan5cm.long.
Bythotrephesarepredatorsof.Bythotrephesare
- CommontoverycommonaboardtheSchoolshipinlateAugustorSeptember.
Cercopagispengoi(fishhookwaterflea)
- Referredtoasthefishhookwaterfleabecauseitsspinehooksatarightanglefromits
body
- Feedsuponotherzooplankton.
- ThoughttohaveenteredtheGreatLakesintheballastwaterofaship
o FirstdiscoveredintheGreatLakesin1998(LakeOntario).
o FirstdiscoveredinLakeMichiganbytheSchoolshipin1999.
o CercopagishasspreadtotheFingerLakesinNewYork,GrandTraverseBay,and
southernLakeMichigannearWaukegan.
- Canreproduceataveryfastrate–in7-10days,afemalecanproduceabroodof8-13
young.TodayitisveryraretofindCercopagisaboardtheschoolship.
Allillustrationsareby:
Balcer,M.D.,N.L.Korda,andS.Dodson.1984.ZooplanktonoftheGreatLakes:AGuidetothe
IdentificationandEcologyoftheCommonCrustaceanSpecies.Reprintedbypermissionofthe
UniversityofWisconsinPress.
RemyChamp(ISEA)
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