AIM - to illustrate the types of organisms that are likely to be encountered in the water column, how those organisms are collected, how they are observed, documented, and the documentation placed into micro*scope. In addition, this exercise addresses isolation (by picking), and moving organisms into culture.
This exercise may stretch over several days. It is used to explore many aspects of working with material from nature. Throughout, we need images of people conducting the various procedures, and these can be added to Protistiary.
The first task is to collect some samples to work with. Consider that there are about 1000 flagellates per ml of water, perhaps 1 ciliate, and by the time we move to larger microbes, their numbers are dropping dramatically. Large organisms must be concentrated before they can be observed. Smaller ones can be pursued differently.
COLLECT
Collect one sample using a plankton net 
. At the same time, collect at least 500 mL of unconcentrated sea water. You can also submerge sponges or slides as traps around the MBL dock, and check them later during then workshop.
DOCUMENTING ORGANISMS FROM A PLANKTON NET SAMPLE USING LIGHT MICROSCOPY
Observe under the dissecting scope. With an appropriately thin pipette you will need to pick some cells, and if they are large you may need to make flat chambers to observe them.
You should be able to discriminate some major types - such as diatoms, dinoflagellates, tintinnids and acantharea.
Targeting one type, select cells and start developing a photographic record. Restrict the photographic sessions to an hour or so. But then work up the images in readiness to put on the web and when you think they are ready, we can assess them and then move them into micro*scope . You will also need at least a generic name for the organism, so also be ready to invest time in identification.
Plankton net samples will not last for very long. If you need more samples, they can be taken from the dock in Eel Pond, or the squid pier that points to the islands.
DOCUMENTING ORGANISMS FROM A PLANKTON NET SAMPLE USING SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY (optional)
Both diatoms and dinoflagellates look very well when imaged by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Protocols for dinoflagellates are available, but if the work involves diatoms or other organisms, new protocols should be written.
DOCUMENTING SMALLER ORGANISMS FROM THE WATER SAMPLE
Place 20 mL of filtered and unfiltered water in flasks with a couple of rice grains. Leave for several days, observe any material that is flocculent, identify and document.
CULTURES
No protocols are available for cultures as yet. There are two options. The first is to pick cells of one type, transfer them into depression dishes in medium made up in 0.2 µm filtered water, check daily for purity and growth, and when growing should be moved into larger dishes. The second is to add about 2 mL of plankton net sample to 20 mL of medium made up in 0.2 µm filtered water, check after a day or so, and isolate cells that have survived the process. Often only a few species of weeds survive, and will form a good basis for cultures.
AND AFTER THEY HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED
Work the images up and move them into micro*scope 
CULTURES
No protocols are available for cultures as yet. There are two options. The first is to pick cells of one type, transfer them into depression dishes in medium made up in 0.2 µm filtered water, check daily for purity and growth, and when growing should be moved into larger dishes. The second is to add about 2 mls of crude sample to 20 mls of medium made up in 0.2 µm filtered water, check after a day or so, and isolate cells that have survived the process. Often only a few species of weeds survive, and will form a good basis for cultures.
