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WalterD

Joined: 06 Jul 2015 Posts: 351 Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 10:54 pm Post subject: Snapshots From a Sphagnum Fen (Edited 10/03) |
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My curiousity for what can be found in a drop of water from a mesotrophic (containing moderate amounts of nutrients) environment, led me late February -equipped with a plankton net- to one of the nearby sphagnum fens. Been there previously but still interested though about possible discoveries to be made this time of the year, end of the winter season.
And I was not being disappointed! Especially regarding micro-fauna it turned out to be crowded: Lots of different rotifers, including females with eggs were swarming underneath the coverslip. Furthermore ciliatea, amoebae, some cyclops and small water fleas (not the large ones that can be found more often). As expected concerning (micro-)flora it was less busy. In the samples I researched though, several species of desmids were found. A visit to another fen 3 months ago did not provide me any desmid that time. For the pictures I've brought some species together.
The characteristic Sphagnum, that creates an explosion of green each year was virtually absent, still I found one or two small pieces at the edge, under thin ice.
All and all a successful expedition. The funny thing is the mesotrophic water is in such a balance that it can easily be kept in a mini-aquarium outside for additional microscopic sessions...which is now duly noted.
1. Waterflea (Chydorus Sphaericus) DIC 25x
2. Rotifer (Gattung Keratella) Oil immersion polarisation 50x
3. Desmids (Closterium, Micrasterias and Euastrum) DIC 40x
4. Birch seed (betula) that ended up in the sample, 6,3x with compensator plate and mismatched phase stop.
5. Sphagnum brightfield 6.3x
6.Cyclops, "pseudo" DIC 6.3x
Click for double resolution on following Wetransfer link : https://we.tl/dZSi11vWNc
(expires 16.03.17)
Thanks for watching!

Last edited by WalterD on Fri Mar 10, 2017 4:59 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Jacek

Joined: 02 Oct 2011 Posts: 4913 Location: Poland
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Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 12:08 am Post subject: |
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Very nice photos !
I am the nearest tank with acidic water to have more than 100 kilometers. It's my favorite environment due to desmids.
You in the Netherlands unless you have a lot of places. Envy  _________________ https://photos.app.goo.gl/MV9IynUtBdaKkVj53 |
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NikonUser

Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 2533 Location: southern New Brunswick, Canada
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Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:35 am Post subject: |
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Nice collection
#4 is a Birch seed Betula sp. _________________ NU.
student of entomology
Quote – Holmes on ‘Entomology’
” I suppose you are an entomologist ? “
” Not quite so ambitious as that, sir. I should like to put my eyes on the individual entitled to that name.
No man can be truly called an entomologist,
sir; the subject is too vast for any single human intelligence to grasp.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr
The Poet at the Breakfast Table.
Nikon camera, lenses and objectives
Olympus microscope and objectives |
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Beatsy

Joined: 05 Jul 2013 Posts: 970 Location: Malvern, UK
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Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 6:44 am Post subject: |
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Lovely set, but the rotifer is just stand-out stunning IMO. Thanks for sharing. |
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Cactusdave

Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 1606 Location: Bromley, Kent, UK
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Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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Very nice. The rotifer is special.  _________________ Leitz Ortholux 1, Zeiss standard, Nikon Diaphot inverted, Canon photographic gear |
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WalterD

Joined: 06 Jul 2015 Posts: 351 Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 5:17 am Post subject: |
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Good to hear that!
@ Jacek: "Nearby" still means a 1 hour drive in my case, anyway it's worth it.
@ Nikonuser: Thanks for the ID, saw you pictured a similar one a couple of years ago...already had this deja vu feeling...
@ Beatsy & Cactusdave: Though not the expected first choice for examining plankton, I've been using this 50x/NA1,00 oil immersion objective for the Keratella (and for the water mite head in previous post). Of course it's a bit of luck as well, however the lens usually performs great, with excellent contrast and unexpected detail. I actually decided to buy one after reading very positive feedback in one of the objectives discussions in this forum.
7. Rotifer 25xDIC
8. Rotifer 40xDIC Compensator Plate (partially desaturated color-DIC)
9. Sphagnum 10x Darkfield
10. Sphagnum 16x Darkfield
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Jacek

Joined: 02 Oct 2011 Posts: 4913 Location: Poland
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Smokedaddy
Joined: 07 Oct 2006 Posts: 1068 Location: Phoenix, Arizona
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Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 4:56 pm Post subject: |
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... excellent images, lots of work there too. |
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rjlittlefield Site Admin

Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 18687 Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
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Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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Marvelous work!
Are the rotifers single exposures or focus stacks?
--Rik |
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WalterD

Joined: 06 Jul 2015 Posts: 351 Location: Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:51 am Post subject: |
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Pleased you appreciate it.
Rik; all images, incl. the rotifers have been stacked, the majority with Zerene's D-map. The DIC I'm using (Smith-T) is confusing even the most sophisticated stacking software as it usually sees different details at different depths. This makes especially color-DIC time-consuming to process; you need to pick out the right details from each image manually.
To deal with this I've used only 5 to 10 images per picture and made separate small substacks, especially the top part as its continuously moving / retracting. After combining this, in photoshop more specific details from a single picture have sometimes been added by an additional layer combined with the history brush.
Cheers,
Walter |
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GaryB
Joined: 29 Jul 2016 Posts: 502
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Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 5:23 am Post subject: |
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You have some beautiful colors going on in those shots. |
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