Tag Archives: protection

Vernal pool DVD chapter 4: Threats to Protection

The Threats to Protection section of the “Vernal Pools: A Diamond in the Rough” DVD. www.theOEC.org
Video Rating: 5 / 5

macroinvertebrate and crustacean activity

Macroinvertebrates consist of hundreds of species that can be found in vernal pools. In this video try and find the fairy shrimp, mosquito larvae, water mites, copepods, chironomid midges, and so much more! Macroinvertebrates are key to the vernal pool ecosystem as they help decompose the leaf litter and provide food for amphibians, reptiles, and birds.

Fairy Shrimp

The Fairy Shrimp section from “Vernal Pools: A Diamond in the Rough” DVD. www.theOEC.org

Ghostly Fairy Shrimp-celebrezze

Fairy shrimp are the fresh water cousins of brine shrimp and are considered crustaceans. They are about an inch in length. They feed on vegetation and on small creatures. They lay eggs which are called “cysts.” These cysts have prven viable in labs past 200 degrees F and 100 degrees F below zero. They are eaten by water fowl and other animals. They can be only found in vernal pools. These shrimp reside in a pool in Delaware County Ohio.

Vernal Pools-fairy shrimp in the dark part 1

These fairy shrimp live in central Ohio and can be found in vernal pools-seasonal wetlands. They can only be found in vernal pools. They are usually an inch long or smaller and are crustaceans. Males have the longer atennal appendages than the females. Their eggs (which are called cysts) can stand temperatures of over 200 degrees F above and below zero. For more on vernal pools and protection check out www.ovpp.org