Hi everyone, let’s talk about week five! This week I’ve spent time with some new exciting organisms! My project is coming together nicely, I have a lot more documenting ahead of me - it is exciting! On Tuesday afternoon we gave presentations on our research projects. We were all very nervous, we practiced lots and got it over with! Everyone did great. It was fun to find out about everyone’s projects more in depth. It was inspiring to see my friend’s and my own inner courage shine through our quiet-selves. The OIMB seminar on Wednesday afternoon was on basking sharks - their behavior and population dynamics by Dr. Alexandra McInturf from OSU, who is also working with the Irish Basking Shark Group. I enjoyed learning more about basking sharks, here’s a few fun facts! Basking sharks are the world's second largest fish. Plankton make up their primary food source - they don't use their hundreds of teeth for feeding! They swim with open mouths, catching plankton. This week I skinned a barnacle, as a new way to get barnacles to settle! In the field juveniles are found on the adult skin of barnacles, leading biologists to believe that larvae settle on the adult skin. Specifically for the goose-neck barnacle, Pollicipes polymerus, I dissected the skin from the stalk and super glued it to a microscope slide. Then I placed it in a container of sea water with cyprids of Pollicipes polymerus, in hopes they will settle onto the adult skin. Richard and I collected a new species of cyprid - Amphibalanus improvisus, which I will be adding to my documentation list! So far I have Balanus nubilus, Balanus crenatus, Chathalamus dali, Balanus glandula, Pollicipes polymerus, and Amphibalanus improvisus. I will need a photo of the cyprid stage and settled juvenile stage of each species, as well as a genetic barcode. Richard already has barcodes of most species. Soon I will begin learning the process of barcoding larvae! Along with the new species of cyprid, I found hundreds of snail larvae! They were incredible, I took a few photos to show you. I also photographed an image of a crab larva - Zoea, to demonstrate how odd they look. On one of my first days in the lab I’d been sorting nauplii and cyprids out of plankton for a few hours, viewing the same species for an extended period of time, when suddenly I saw a crab larva for the first time - talk about a jump scare! I also found some isopods - relatives of potato bugs (also known as “roly polies”, or “pill bugs”). I used the book “A Guide to Marine Coastal Plankton and Marine Invertebrate Larvae - D. Smith” to try and identify what type of isopod it is, and I believe it’s a Munna. This week pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to see my inner courage. I look forward to my project progressing, as I collect more organisms and more data. My dad’s birthday is this Sunday, and my nephew Leif’s was on the 10th. I’ve been feeling a bit down about missing their birthdays, and my family’s annual fourth of July party - it was my first year not going. This Sunday Victoria, Chloe, Sherlyn, and I are going to the Bandon Petting Zoo! I can’t wait! Get ready for some cute animal photos next week :) See you next week! Annika
2 Comments
Heather
7/25/2022 03:25:33 pm
Crab larvae jumpscare! I know how you love isopods! What's the size of the largest? How exciting to fine & record the new species. We're so thankful for this opportunity for your to learn & grow in different ways while getting to know & have fun with new friends! I love seeing your pictures! We missed you! See you soon in your new temporary habitat. 💞
Reply
Annika
7/26/2022 10:16:35 am
Thank you! I wasn't sure which type of isopod is largest, but I looked it up. The "Giant Isopod" genus Bathynomus, includes 20 species of the largest isopods. They live in cold waters in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. They can grow up to 18 inches long! The photos are awesome :)
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Author
Hi! I'm Annika, a biology student attending Lane Community College. I will be researching cyprid larvae in the Emlet lab this summer. I look forward to sharing my findings on Cyprids. I love roller skating, my eleven penpals across the globe, my two cats, two guinea pigs, and the enchanting PNW woods - my forever home.
Archives
August 2022
Categories |
Proudly powered by Weebly