Field Sampling
Study Area
My local area of focus is the Keweenaw Peninsula, north of MI-38. The Keweenaw Peninsula is located in the upper peninsula of Michigan and it is surrounded by Lake Superior. The towns are small and scattered among predominately mixed deciduous and coniferous forests. A few feet of snow cover the ground for about five months of the year. During the growing season, many areas remain flooded, providing a variety of habitats to sample from, including streams, ditches, ponds, lakes, bogs, marshes, and ephemeral puddles.
Types of Samples
At a particular location, samples collected may have included:Plankton Tows
I used a phytoplankton net to filter water with a surface or oblique tow.
I used a phytoplankton net to filter water with a surface or oblique tow.
Plant Material or Macro-algae
I collected aquatic plants, plant detritus, macro-algae, and visible algal films or tuffs.
I collected aquatic plants, plant detritus, macro-algae, and visible algal films or tuffs.
Rock or Log Scrapings
I scraped submerged rocks and logs for attached microscopic organisms.
I scraped submerged rocks and logs for attached microscopic organisms.
Samples were placed in whirl packs in the field, kept cool with ice when available, and refrigerated if prompt microscopic examination was not possible.
