Time to Tow!

Nov 26, 2018 • 7:58 AM UTC

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Mahima Jaini

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Finally our field season has started! Now that the Southwest monsoon and Northeast monsoons have passed our islands, we are out weekly to collect zooplankton using our 200um net, purchased with funds from the DBT foldscope grant (#IndiaFoldscopePhase1).

Our objective is to detect daily, lunar and seasonal cycles in meroplankton abundance. Our surveys are revealing stark differences between day and night! New moon and full moon phases! We are catching everything from copepods to fish larvae, even the occasional octopus baby! (#AndamanPlankton). Some of these zooplankton are too big for the foldscope so we do some of our preliminary analysis using a simple 20x dissection scope. Then we isolate certain critters & photograph them using the foldscope 🙂
Next post, Andaman internet permitting, we hope to share some of these foldscope images.
#IndiaFoldscopePhase1 – DBT Foldscope Category B Project Details:
Project Title: Integrating microscopy and satellite oceanography to understand the dynamics of planktonic communities around the Andaman Islands
Principal Investigator: Mahima Jaini, Marine Research Officer, Dakshin Foundation
Location: Andaman Nicobar Environment Team, Wandoor, South Andaman, India