A Tardigrade Odyssey
February 16, 2001, Friday. With the tardigrade samples received from Dr. Miller of Philadelphia, the experimentation has begun. Well, at least looking for the tardigrades. After letting the tardigrades hydrate for a few hours in water, I noticed only one dead-looking tardigrade (Milnesium) under the microscope.
February 19, Monday. Today, I looked under the microscope again. This time I noticed 4 tardigrades. One Eschinus was crawling, a Ramazottius was eating a nematode, a nymph was trying to hold on to a nematode, and one Eschinus was hanging on to a plant substrate.
February 21, Monday. Today I discovered that after 6 days, tardigrades die from what seems to be a fungal/protist infection to which neighboring nematodes and rotifers seem to be immune. At any rate, somebody's eggs are all over the place. It would seem that the most tardigrades can be harvested after 4 days of hydration. After 5 or 6 days they die. Next week, I intend to begin the actual experiment.
February 28, Wednesday. Today I created a new, larger batch of tardigrades.
March 2, Friday. Today I will try to tape tardigrades if I can. Hopefully, my advisor Dr. Bennett can show me the taping apparatus so I can set it up myself.
March 17, Saturday. Today, I commenced actual taping. I rehydrated two batches of tardigrades. I taped 3 dead Ramazottius. Last Friday (mentioned above), I did not actually tape anything but I learned how to set up the apparatus. I also learned how to transfer a tardigrade to another microscope (do *not* squeeze the bulb of the micropipette!). After I taped the 3 dead Ramazottius, I found one live Milnesium about 5 hours later after hydration. I taped it for an hour and a half. The tardigrade's movements seemed random, though no legs moved at the same time. I got it off substrate and on substrate. Unfortunately, when I got home, I found that tape was black. :(
March 23, Friday. I taped more Ramazottius tardigrades.
March 24, Saturday. I taped even more tardigrades; now I have 6. The Eschinus and Milnesium are far easier to tape--they do not have the tendency to flip like the Ramazottius.
March 26, Monday. I taped two more tardigrades and the last of the Ramazottius for this sample. I had a hard time of it today--I broke two micropipettes.
March 30, Friday. Too small a sample, I could not get those tardigrades taped for the life of me! :(
March 31, Saturday. I taped the last two tardigrades and started on the rough substrata. I got one Ramazottius taped.
April 6, Wednesday. I taped on Eschinus on sand.
April 14 Saturday. I taped three tardigrades! A Eschinus, Milnesium, and a Ramazottius. Whew! The last one was slow at first, but he got fast really quick.
April 21-22 Saturday and Sunday. I taped the remaining tardigrades for the sand substrata and taped 10 local (macrobiotus, I think) tardigrades for the lichen substata. I was on a roll! That's 30 tardigrades so far, 10 more pinned down to go.
April 22-29 Saturday and Sunday. I'm finished! Collecting data, that is. I still have to interpret it. Anyways, I taped 10 tardigrades pinned between water and a coverslip. The larger tardigrades had to be pressed down upon while my mother recorded. These last 20 tardigrades were the unknown species. I'll have them identified (I think they are Macro) shortly. In the mean time, I've got to write that paper.
May 9, Wednesday. My paper is finished! I'll put it up soon.
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