Today was an exciting day for our wildlife pond project! During our regular microscopy session, we discovered a fascinating new organism swimming in our water sample. After close observation, we identified it as Stentor coeruleus – one of the largest unicellular organisms, known for its striking blue-green color and unique ability to both swim and attach to surfaces.

What We Observed

• Slightly blue tint – a telltale sign of Stentor coeruleus.
• Swims in a consistent clockwise motion – using rows of tiny hair-like structures called cilia.
• Can attach and contract rapidly – a defense mechanism and feeding behavior.
• One distinct green spot – likely an endosymbiotic algae, meaning this tiny organism may also photosynthesize!

A Sign of a Healthy Pond

The presence of Stentor coeruleus in our pond is fantastic news! These ciliates thrive in clean, nutrient-balanced water, which suggests our ecosystem is developing well even though it’s only February 22nd. As spring approaches and we begin planting within and around the pond, we’re hopeful that even more microscopic life will appear.

What’s Next?

With warmer weather on the way, we’ll continue to monitor our pond’s microscopic life and document new discoveries. Seeing organisms like Stentor now makes us even more eager to observe how biodiversity flourishes in the coming months.

Stay tuned for more updates – and if you have a pond, grab a microscope and have a look at what’s living beneath the surface!