Cephalopodcast

Many visitors to this cephaloblog are probably already aware of the plight of the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. However, there is another, rarer species said to lurk in the farm country of the northeast. And the first photographic evidence of the elusive seven-legged Vermount tree octopus has recently been released. It is an enormous beast which obviously has binocular vision and a hardened siphon. Be aware folks. Be very aware!

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All kidding aside, this concludes my posts for the first annual International Cephalopod Awareness Day. Thanks again to everyone who participated. If you are interested in planning events for next year, head on over to TONMO and join the conversation. And remember, next year it will be 08-October-08!

Last summer we started noticing upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopeia sp.) appearing in abundance in Sarasota Bay, Florida. These are typically saucer-sized animals that are content to pulse upside-down (hence the name) on the bay bottom, exposing their frilly, weed-like tentacles to the sun. They aren’t supposed to have much of a sting, but apparently some people do get an allergic reaction to touching them.

These creatures have a symbiotic relationship with the algae that packs their tentacles. It is similar to the relationship between reef-forming, stony corals and their algae partners. These partners are called zooxanthellae (zoe-zan-thelly), or as we like to tell the kids, they are the green jelly in the belly of the corals. Not strictly accurate, but catchier than saying the dinoflagellate symbionts in the endoderm of hermatypic cnidarians. The algae photosynthesizes, producing oxygen and sugars that the animals use. In return, the animals give the algae a protective matrix to grow in, carbon dioxide and other waste products that act like fertilizers.

Typically you find these jellies further south in Florida and it’s unsual to see them this far north. This story just recently got some mainstream press coverage and by coincidence the inkspot blog posted some beautiful pictures and video of upside-down jellies nearly the same day.

It’s interesting to note that this article by Karla C. Garcia states that the upside-down jellies tend to expel their zooxanthellae under stressful conditions, like extreme water temperatures and changes in salilnity. In coral reefs, this process is commonly referred to as bleaching. Presumably the conditions in Sarasota Bay have change now in favor of recruitment by Cassiopeia larvae and their algae. Sarasota Bay has also been affected by several seasons of serious red tide outbreaks. It is interesting to speculate if this may have influenced the natural predators of the planktonic larvae.

And here’s the obligatory disclaimer. These animals are not fish, of course, and some people object to calling them jellyfish. They are an ancient lineage of animals that predate any finny creatures with backbones. Instead, simply call them sea jellies and you should be okay.

• Herald Tribune: Strange jellyfish move into Sarasota Bay
• inkspot: jellicles
• A Symbiotic Lifestyle: C. xamachana and Zooxanthellae

Make magazine has instructions on building your own miniature aquatic biosphere. I took the weekend challenge and made my own using specimens from a retention pond near work. There were snails and crustaceans in abundance, including grass shrimp (Palaemonetes sp.), amphipods (aka, scuds) and copepods.

The instructions call for the use of a sea shell to help with buffering. I thought I would be smart and use a small deer antler instead. It looked good at first, but I never properly degreased the thing, so the set up went south pretty quickly. I removed the antler and restarted with a little crushed coral gravel. I also added the iconic econaut refuge (orange diver) and a little bit of hornwort purchased from the pet store.

Cephalovlog #2: 60 Seconds of Green Pond Scum

I made a little video featuring some of the critters. I used a jeweler’s loupe held next to my Canon ZR500 and Powershot A95 (movie setting) to get close-up shots of them in action. It was edited with iMovie and scored in Garageband.

Click To Play

Blip.tv | YouTube

Lessons Learned

Needless to say, this is a great lesson in ecosystem management. Unlike an aquarium, the tabletop biosphere is a closed system. All nutrients must cycle from the plants (producers) to the animals (consumers) and back again (via decomposers/bacteria). A well balanced biosphere can last a couple of years, with some commercial manufacturers claiming systems that have run for ten years or more.

In addition to the articles from Make, there are several lesson plans out there for starting biospheres in the classroom. It might be interesting to get students started with these at the beginning of the year and see which ones last the longest. See the links below for more ideas.

Tendrils

I also wanted to highlight another sources of inspiration for this project. It is an aquascaping photoblog simply called Green. I encourage you to marvel at the beautiful macro photography of Marcus Wallinder’s miniature worlds. And if its zen-like, award-winning design inspires you, then here are more than 130 palettes to “help you get your green on” too.

• Make: Tabletop Biosphere, with resource citations
• Make a Tabletop Biosphere - Make: PDFcast
• Make a Tabletop Biosphere - Make: Video Podcast
• Home Made Biospheres
• Make Labs Biosphere & more!
• Lesson plans (Ohio): It’s a Small World After All! (Pond Microcosms)
• Lesson plans: Examining the Human Impact on our Environment
• Water on the Web: Microcosm Setup and Sample Collection Instructions
• Bottle Biology
• BBC/OU Open2.net: DIY Science - Ecospheres
• Make your own homemade ecosphere
• The Miracle Whip Microcosm
• Ecobottle Investigations
• Green: aquascape photoblog
• Best Of Color Inspiration: 130+ Green Color Palettes
• Flickr: Biosphere symbol/label
• Flickr: My BioJar photos
• Previously: Tiny Lightbulb Tanks

In my college biology club I met a woman who taught her budgie how to speak. But the only thing it could say was, “Kiss the Virus.” This made slightly more sense when you realized that she named the parakeet Virus. Needless to say, they were both odd birds. However, I think they would both be delighted to know that there are now budgie-sized toy viruses available for purchase.

The TEDCO toy company makes miniature biological and anatomical models. These include the virus, but also bacteria, animal cell and plant cell models too. They range in size from 3.5 to 5.5 inches (9-14 cm) and cost $10 each. In addition to macro-sized microbes, TEDCO makes miniature-sized human anatomy models like the Brain and Skull, the Eye and the iconic Human Torso. They all have removable parts, as if you were dissecting them, and would make great novelty gifts for bio/med students or a favorite science teacher. Why isn’t Think Geek selling these things?

Even more interesting is that TEDCO is a family-owned, American company. And as best as I can tell, they actually manufacture their toys in the United States. From their about page:

TEDCO was first established as a research & development company by the late Ralph Teetor. Mr. Teetor was a well-known and highly respected inventor who started TEDCO (Teetor Engineering Development Company) as a vehicle to foster his inventions. His most renowned accomplishment is the “cruise control” on your automobile. Mr. Teetor was blinded at an early age, yet he did not allow his lack of sight to hinder his creative genius. He was president of the former Perfect Circle Corporation and was inducted posthumously into the Automotive Hall of Fame.

Now, if you are interested in more traditional, life-sized (and larger) biology models (and have a couple hundred dollars), you might want to check out the Somso models available from Holt Anatomical. These are museum-quality, German made models for the classroom. Products include the human torsos with head (and interchangeable genitalia), block models of the skin, fern prothallium, brains of the honey bee (with transparent head capsules) and much more.

For those who are more budget conscious, there are some free microbial activities available from the Rodale Institute. Check out the papercraft Bacteria from their Paper Garden Project.

• See also, plush Giant Microbes
• And Miniature anatomical toys from Japan

Got a chance to see this at FMSEA. Very nice.

The Loxahatchee River District is pleased to announce the debut of its environmental poster series: Seagrasses found in the Loxahatchee River Estuary and southern Indian River Lagoon

The poster provides a way to educate the public about the importance of seagrass and how residents can alter their actions to minimize their impact on seagrass. Through education and awareness, the poster will foster a stronger sense of stewardship for the protection of seagrasses and the Indian River Lagoon. The seagrass poster will be distributed throughout Palm Beach and Martin County schools, environmental centers, and other learning facilities. Funding for this project was provided by the South Florida Water Management District through the Indian River Lagoon License Plate Program.

• 8.5 x 11 Poster (PDF-556Kb)
• 11 x 17 Poster (PDF-536Kb)
• For more information or to obtain a poster, please contact Jocelyn O’Neill at 561-743-7123 or 561-262-2991

Stumbled upon the Glass Jellyfish, a photo album over at PangalacticTrading.com. They are pictures of the works of Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka. It reminds me a of the delicate glass rotifer sculptures at the American Museum of Natural History.

The second half of the 19th century was a time of great scientific discovery. New museums were being built throughout the world and many existing private museums were opening to the public. New galleries were designed to display the expanding array of known living plants and animals. For many groups of animals this was easily done…But what about soft bodied animals such as jellyfish and sea anemones? Examples of these animals could be pickled in spirit to preserve them, but this in no way reflected their extraordinary appearance in life. Their colours quickly faded and their shapes became distorted as the tissues shrank. Papier-mâché and wax models could not capture their translucence and transparency. Leopold Blaschka, a brilliant glassworker and amateur naturalist, devised a solution to this problem - vividly recreating these life forms modelling them in glass.

• Glass Jellyfish
• Out Of The Teeming Sea: The Life and Work of the Blaschkas
• Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka and natural history in the nineteenth century
• Blaschka on Flickr: Ine Poppe, vmuskie