Hiking With A Field Microscope
Copyright © 2005, Wayne
Lanier
Salt Marsh Mysteries
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Secrets of a San Francisco Deck Garden
Giant Bacteria Found in Golden Gate Park Flowers...!
Cryptobiotic Soil Unearthed in Utah
Revealing Films of Life in a Cliff-side Seep
A Hard Life Out in the Salt Flats
Beneath the Tufas in Mono Lake
And, indeed, I turned east off the path just before the
bridege and walked along the Slough.
Color is everything in this game. As soon as I saw the
red mud I knew my quarry was near. I leaned out over the pickle
weed and took a sample.
I hit immediate paydirt... Here we see four of the
organisms that constitute this mud flat community.
The next photomicrograph is linked to a QuickTime movie of
Dinoflagellates. If you have a Quicktime player installed on your
computer, you can view the short film by clicking on the little
camera
symbol. If you do not have QuickTime, you can download a
player for free at this web site. Depending on the
speed of your Internet connection, the QuickTime movie may take a
moment to load. Be patient. When you are through viewing
the little film, use the <BACK> button your browser to
return to this page.
Moving in for a higher magnification...
These dinoflagellates define the mud flat community of this
slough in the sense that they are the dominant organism.
Similar communities are found in every mud flat and stagnant
slough around the San Francisco area, from Tomales Bay in the north to
the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Reserve in the
south near Fremont. In every such community I have examined, one
species of dinoflagellate or another is the defining dominant member.
A minority member of the dinoflagellates in this community is
shown in the photomicrograph below.
A similar dinoflagellate is found in the Dead Sea.
There, it is actually harvested for production of beta-carotene.
The next most frequent members of this community are the
cynobacteria. Similar cyanobacteria are found in most of the mud
flat communities around San Francisco.
Viewing the cyanobacteria at higher magnification shows some
of its structure. Oscillatoria is a very common species
of cyanobacteria, so guessing that the large bacterial filament is
probably Oscillatoria is reasonable. It is not certain,
however, because identification of any microorganism from appearance is
a risky business. Notice that this photomicrograph is linked to a
short movie, also. Clicking on the little camera symbol will
load the film. Loading time is dependent on the speed of your
Internet link. When you have viewed the movie, use the
<BACK> button on your browser to return to this page.
Both of photomicrographs were made at about 800X magnification.
The next major group of mud flat organisms are the diatoms.
Some are lacy...
Some diatoms are skinny...
Some diatoms are chubby...
There is a brief movie of the diatom shown in the
photomicrograph below. To view it, click on the image of the
little camera. To return to this page, use the
<BACK> button of your browser.
The next photomicrograph is linked to an entertaining
movie. This is one I recommend. Just click on the
little camera image. It may take awhile to load, but it is
worth it. When done, use the <BACK> button to return to
this page.
I calculated the volumes of these two diatoms. Assuming
that the weight is directly proportional to volume, the big diatom is
96-times heavier than the little one. If a person of average
weight were swimming, this would be the equivalent of pushing on a
7.5-ton boat.
The next diatom species is simply weird...!
Seeing one of these diatoms is rare, usually they look like
this...
Think of the next series of photomicrographs as a slow-motion
movie...
and...
and...
then...
Here is another short movie I recommend. It shows the
diatoms unfolding and extending. Click on the little
camera. Return with your <BACK> button.
More about diatoms.
This was taken sequentially.
Finally, one last odd diatom.
The "glass" valves are like little pill boxes.
If you are not worn out waiting for little movies to load,
this is a good example of a ciliate. The rows of cilia show
clearly in the movie.
And we end with the nematode member of the mud flat community.
End of page.