Science Activities

Plankton

Have you ever wondered what was that green slimy stuff floating around in your pond? Well that green slimy stuff is actually phytoplankton, a type of plankton which makes up the basis of the aquatic food chain! Phytoplankton are microscopic plants which produce food energy from sun energy. Phytoplankton, also known as algae, are eaten by tiny animals called zooplankton, insects, amphibian tadpoles, and small fish. Amphibian eggs, tadpoles and small fish are eaten by larger fish which are then eaten by birds, mammals and people. So as you can see this green slimy stuff is VERY IMPORTANT in a pond. Why not catch some plankton and watch it grow !

It's a Bird!  It's a Plane!  No, it's Phytoplankton!

• marsh or pond water
• a large clear plastic pop bottle
• a magnifying glass
• if possible, a microscope with a glass slide and eye dropper

1. Fill your pop bottle with clear marsh or pond water trying not to get any of the mud off the bottom. Cap the pop bottle and take it home.

2. Place the uncovered plastic pop bottle in the sun once you get home.

3. Every few days check the water and take note of any changes. You should notice that the marsh/pond water gets greener and cloudier as the days pass. The green colour comes from the phytoplankton multiplying and increasing in numbers in the water. This is what is called an "Algal Bloom".

4. If your lucky enough to have a microscope, why not have a closer look! Place a drop of water on a glass slide and then cover it with either another glass slide or a cover slip. The green organisms are mostly phytoplankton, whereas the clear moving organisms are zooplankton.

5. You may want to do three experiments at the same time. Instead of just filling one plastic pop bottle with pond water fill three, and place one in the sun, one in the dark and one in the fridge. Make note of any differences. Now where would you most likely see an "Algal Bloom":
   1. A pond found in the middle of a field
   2. A pond found in a forest
   3. A cold water stream

6. Make sure you return your marsh/pond water to its appropriate wetland.

Ghostbusters - Zooplankton at work

Materials and Equipment

• marsh or pond water
• a large plastic pop bottle
• a large glass jar
• a dead leaf from a wetland plant
• a pencil or tree branch
• tape
• thread

Procedure:

1. Fill your plastic pop bottle with clear marsh or pond water trying not to get any of the mud off the bottom. Cover the tub and take the water home.

2. Take a dead wetland leaf home with you. Make sure the leaf is small enough to fit in your jar.

3. Once your home, transfer some of the water into a clean glass jar. Place the jar in the sun without its cover.

4. After 24 hours, tie the leaf with a piece a string to the pencil or branch. Place the suspended leaf into the pond water and secure the pencil or branch to the jar with some tape. Make sure the whole leaf is under the pond water. Leave the jar in the sun for one week.

5. Keep track of any changes to the leaf during the week. You should see the leaf slowly disappear as the zooplankton in the marsh water feed of the leaf.

It's a Buggy World After all

If you look at marsh water very closely you will notice a large number of different insects and other small animals. These organism are food for fish, birds, turtles, amphibians and other wetland wildlife. You will find different species of insects living on the surface, middle sections and bottom sections of a wetland. Why not explore these differences yourself!

Materials and Equipment:

• marsh water
• a kitchen strainer
• tweezers
• four shallow, light coloured
• dishpans
• a magnifying glass
• small, clear plastic bottles (ie. empty pill bottles)
• field guides to pond life and insects

1. Fill all four dishpans with marsh water.

2. Using a kitchen strainer dip net for animals around the plants growing in the water along the shoreline. Place any animals caught in the dishpan labelled "On Plants".

3. Using the strainer skim the surface of the water for floating insects or insects attached to floating leaves. Carefully place these insects into the dishpan labelled "Surface".

4. Using the kitchen strainer, strain the middle section of the marsh water column for insects. Carefully place these insects into the dishpan labelled "Open Water".

5. Dig the kitchen strainer into the bottom mud of the marsh, and swirl the strainer in the water to strain out excess mud. Carefully bring up the strainer letting any excess water drain out. Place the insects into the dishpan labelled "Bottom". Make sure you don't put too much mud into the dishpan as it will be too cloudy to see any organisms.

6. Now take a look at all four containers and compare the animal life found in all four areas of a wetland. For a closer look at some thing small, transfer an animal into a small bottle of marsh water using tweezers. A magnifying glass will allow you to see the organisms features in more detail. Spend some time observing the insects. Compare insect sizes, shapes and colours between all three levels. Identify each species using a guide to pond life. If you have problems finding organisms in the wetland bottom sample add more pond water to clear it up.

7. You may also want to do a comparison study of the insects found in a field pond, woodland pond and stream. You'll see a big difference!

8. When you have finished looking at the aquatic life, carefully return the marsh water and animals to its appropriate wetland.

Caddisfly larva	Water boatman	Dragonfly larva