Cynanobacteria - "They're back!"

There were two big stories on Thompson Lake when we sampled last week (4/22/09). The first was that there were people fishing on the lake. This is perfectly legal and regulated, but there had been no fishing up to this point. More at: http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/illinois/press/press3965.html

The second eye-catching event was that the cyanobacteria that had “filled” the lake the year before was back. The green material floating in lakes is commonly called an “algae” bloom, even though in this case, they are technically not microalgae, but phototrophic bacteria. Last year, we started picking it up in early June. I’ve gotten confirmation from an algal biologist that the species genus name is Aphanizomenon. I supply a diagram.

Upon first glance, the cyanobacteria looks like small, cut-up grass leaves. Upon closer examination, you can see it is composed of individual filaments, and under the microscope can ascertain the heterocysts (specialized cells that “fix” nitrogen from the air) and akinetes (thick, dormant cells that resting/”surviving” cells). I post a copy of a picture I had taken last year.

Wednesday Evening Lecture at the Field Station

Thought you'd like to see this press release -
UIS Emiquon Field Station to host “Spring Migration By The Numbers”

"Spring Migration by the Numbers," a public lecture and nature walk, will be presented at the University of Illinois at Springfield’s Emiquon Field Station beginning at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 29th, at the Field Station. The program is free and open to the public; reservations are not required.
The program will be led by Jim Herkert, director of conservation science for The Nature Conservancy. According to Mr. Herkert, “We will explore the phenomenon of migration in birds covering things such as how many species of birds migrate through Illinois each year? How do birds navigate their way along migration? How far do birds migrate each year? And how important is Emiquon as a migratory stopover site for migrating birds?”
“Emiquon is a great place to observe bird migration because it contains a wide variety of habitats (e.g., woodlands, prairie, and wetlands) and therefore provides habitat for a wide range of migratory birds and because of its very large size which allows for very large concentrations of birds to use the site during their annual migrations,” Herkert added.
The Emiquon Field Station is at The Nature Conservancy’s Emiquon Preserve, located between Havana and Lewistown. Entrance to the field station is on Prairie Road, located off Illinois Rts. 97/78, approximately one-and-a-half miles north of the Dickson Mounds turnoff. A sign will be posted.
A map is also available online at www.uis.edu/emiquon/about/images/mapToTNCEmiquon.jpg. The program will start with a presentation and then follow with to a walk on the nearby trails. Everyone entering the property will be asked to sign a liability waiver. Participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult and must have their waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian.
All are encouraged to wear walking/hiking shoes and to bring binoculars.
For more information, contact Mike Lemke, Emiquon Field Station Director, at lemke.michael@uis.edu or 217/206-7339.

New species discovered?

Well - no, not really a new species . . . but maybe a "habitat extension" - in any case, I wanted to get your attention so I could tell you this story.

One thing I've learned a long time ago was that you never know what you'll come across when you are working on the water. We were finishing up our sampling on 4/8/09 when I noticed an unusual dark object in a shrub about 150 m from the shore line. Of course this needed investigation. Upon closer examination, Doyn (Emiquon Tech.) and I found that it was a raccoon! Well, raccoons are by no means uncommon in the Illinois River basin, but the curious thing was that this one was all snuggled up in this small tree quite far away from land (and about 7 feet above water!). We circled the raccoon several times to get a closer picture (and, to tell you the truth, to get a positive i.d.!) and it did not stir. Come to think of it, not a bad place for a nap - nobody to bother you (except those pesky researchers!), swaying away in a gentle breeze - to tell you the truth, it sounds pretty good - maybe the raccoon is on to something here!

Web Cam

I also wanted to tell you that we have a stationary web cam pointing out of the field station. In the evening this time of year, you can usually see deer grazing. We are getting ready to put up another web cam up over Thompson Lake that viewers will be able to direct. To a view from our front porch, go to: http://66.99.65.227/popup.html

Water, water everywhere!

Thompson Lake is waking up to spring, and most the measurements taken 4/4/09 seemed reasonable. What was surprising was that the lake gained 10 cm of depth, which translates into a heck of a lot of more water (see photo). If it weren't for our GPS unit, I'd be hard pressed to find the sampling stations. There is more good news as we are getting to process samples faster at the field station as we have more equipment on hand. Lastly, the YSI units are being serviced and should be back on deck to give live data from around Thompson Lake. Right now, live data can be obtained from the main ditch at: http://www.ysieconet.com/public/WebUI/Default.aspx?hidCustomerID=94