Project: In a Single Drop of Water

(in Norwegian here) When microbiologist Asbjørn Skogstad and I joined forces in an attempt to increase public awareness of the tiny single-celled creatures that swarm around us, we started with a sample from Skoklefall tjern, using a fine-masked plankton net. This lake was once the main water reservoir for Nesodden where we live.
The sample showed over 23 seperate organisms in a single drop of water, each going about its own business. An Astrionella floats around with lots of tiny hitchhikers - bicosoeca - on its arms, generously bearing them through life. A little cileat has eaten another organism almost identical with its own nucleus, and seems to be swimming round with two nuclei. An amoeba has eaten a delicious fungus spore - something it really ought not to have done, as the spore blithely continued to grow through the membranes of the amoeba. And each and every one of them is busily converting CO to O2 - vital small organisms in other words.

We have shared the results in the form of a picture, which was on display at the Water Tower Gallery Christmas exhibition, and a poster, which is free for any school class wanting a copy. The picture, printed on fine art paper, costs kr. 2000,- The poster costs kr.200,- but is free for school classes. rowen@birchtreeroad.com