ZOOPLANKTON in Lake Garfield

ZOOPLANKTON (from the Greek word “wanderer”) are free floating or weakly swimming microscopic animals at the mercy of the wind and waves. Zooplankton are important because they are a bridge between the base of the food chain and the higher trophic levels. Zooplankton are the primary consumers and graze heavily on the phytoplankton. In turn, the zooplankton population is controlled by fish and other animal predation.

Zoecium

Right about this time of year, anyone walking along the shore of a lake or pond, or boating in the shallows, may look down in the water and be amazed by the strange gelatinous blobs to be found. These can be about the size of a softball, or they can be ten inches across. The material is like jelly, a bit sturdier than we get in a jar, and it is decorated with radiating marks like asterisks. Where has this been all summer? And what on earth could it be?

The basketball sized Zoecium (to the right) was attached to a raft anchor rope when pulling it up to take out the raft (sadly) until next summer. (On Lake Garfield)