Difference between revisions of "Biology of the Algae Lab"

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[[Image:fieldtrip4.jpg|thumb|right|Oxygen bubbles, green algae, and a snail.]]
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===EEB 3250/5250 Lab===
 
===EEB 3250/5250 Lab===
[[Image:UTEX1251.jpg|thumb|right| ''Bracteacoccus giganteus'']]
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Mondays 2-4:50pm <br>
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Thursdays 2-4:50pm <br>
TA: [[Karolina Fučíková]]<br>
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TA: Simona Augyte <br>
Contact: karolina.fucikova@uconn.edu <br>
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Contact: simona.augyte@uconn.edu <br>
Office hours: Monday 1-2 in TLS 115 and by appointment <br>
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<br>
 
<br>
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[[Image:tow.JPG|thumb|right|Stephanie doing a plankton tow at Mirror Pond. Photo by S.Augyte.]]
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'''General Info''' <br>
 
'''General Info''' <br>
The labs will follow the syllabus outlined on the [[Biology of the Algae]] website. The handouts will be posted here by Friday before each lab. It will save you some time and stress if you read the handout at least superficially before the lab. <br>
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The labs will follow the syllabus outlined on the Biology of the Algae HuskyCT site. Lab handouts will be posted there 1-2 weeks ahead of the lab.
Not all, but most of the labs will likely take the full 3 hours they are scheduled for. FYI. <br>
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It will save you some time and stress if you read the handout before the lab. <br>
[[Image:Coleodesmium wrangeli.jpg|thumb|right| ''Coleodesmium wrangeli'']]
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[[Image:Harkness1.jpg|thumb|left| ''Field Trip 9/6/08'']]
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[[Image:Harkness2.jpg|thumb|left| ''Field Trip'']]
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===Lab 1 - August 25th'''===
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[[Image:stream.JPG|thumb|right|Matt and Taylor collecting freshwater algae from a stream on campus. Photo by S.Augyte.]]
We are going outside, so dress accordingly (including footware). <br>
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Here are the handouts we will be using in the first lab: <br>
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:{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/greenplants/restricted/ocular%20micrometer%20handout.pdf}} ocular micrometer handout <br>
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:{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/greenplants/restricted/Lab1-2008.pdf}} handout for lab 1 <br>
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===1st Field Trip - September 6th===
 
In spite of the weather threat, we've collected algae at Harkness Memorial State Park - yay! I will bring them to lab on Monday. We have extras for those who didn't come out with us, so everyone will be able to get a few specimens pressed. I WILL BE IN LAB FROM 1 PM (office hour). YOU CAN COME PRESS YOUR ALGAE THEN IF YOU ARE WORRIED YOU WON'T HAVE TIME DURING OR AFTER LAB. <br>
 
  
===Lab 2 - September 8th===
 
:{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/greenplants/restricted/Lab2%263-terms%20to%20learn.pdf}}  Some terms you should look at before you go to lab on Monday <br>
 
:{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/greenplants/restricted/Lab2%263-2008.pdf}} Handout for labs 2 and 3. This is the ''minimum'' you need to know for the upcoming quiz, including specified parts of the supplemental handouts I will bring to lab on Monday. There may be some optional material for you to look at, but you will not be quizzed on that. <br>
 
  
===Lab 3 - September 15th===
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===Lab 1 - August 30'''===
We will be using the handouts from last time. Don't forget to bring them to lab. This lab may not be as busy as the previous one, but take this as an opportunity to look at the specimens and slides again if you need to. There is a quiz coming up the following Monday. <br>
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Field trip around campus. Collected microalgae using a plankton net from Mirror Pond.<br>
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===Lab 2 - September 6===
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Brown Algae<br>
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Made colorful algal beads from brown algal extracts, recipe courtesy of PSA.
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[[Image:SteveAmy.JPG|thumb|right|Steve and Amy adding color to the sodium alginate mix. Photo by S.Augyte.]]
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[[Image:JASJ.JPG|thumb|right|Jacqueline, Amy, Silvana, and Jennifer adding colorful beads to calcium chloride. Photo by S. Augyte.]]
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[[Image:beads.JPG|thumb|right|Final product - colorful algal beads. Photo by S. Augyte.]]
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===Lab 3 - September 13===
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Brown Algae. We will be using the handouts from last time. Don't forget to bring them to lab. This lab may not be as busy as the previous one, but take this as an opportunity to look at the specimens and slides again if you need to.<br>
 +
[[Image:fieldtrip5.jpg|thumb|right|A very small <i>Ceramium</i> collected at Avery Point, Sept. 15, 2012. Photo by P. Lewis.]]
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===1st Field Trip - September 15===
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A great trip to Avery Point!  <br>
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[[Image:fieldtrip2.jpg|thumb|right|Hard at work pressing algae, Avery Point, Sept. 15, 2012. Photo by P. Lewis.]]
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===Lab 4 - September 20===
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Lab Quiz 1 and Red Algae Lab<br>
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===Lab 5 - September 27===
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Red Algae II. Students got to sample home-made "jello" from extracts of a red alga, topped with whipped cream made with carrageenan courtesy of Dr. Lewis. <br>
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[[Image:jello.jpg|thumb|right|Algal jello, Sept. 27, 2012. Photo by Daniel Cole.]]
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===Lab 6 - October 4===
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Intro to green algae - Charophyta. <br>
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===Lab 7 - October 11===
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Green algae - Chlorophyta. 
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[[Image:codium.jpg|thumb|right|Coenocytic green - dead man's fingers. Photo by S.Augyte.]]<br>
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===Lab 8 - October 18===
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Lab Quiz 2. Intro to Diatoms. Start growth experiment. <br>
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===Lab 9 - October 25===
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Continue with diatoms, take pictures of fresh material for making a poster. Collect diatoms from the greenhouse. <br>
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===Lab 10 - November 1===
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Synurophytes, Crysophytes, Euglenophytes and Dinoflagellates. <br>
  
===Lab 4 - September 22nd===
 
Lab Quiz 1: I will ask you to identify several herbarium specimens (mostly to genus) and place them in the correct class and/or order, identify structures on permanent slides and determine what stage of the life cycle they represent. I will NOT ask you to draw life cycles of red algae, but you should be familiar with them enough to answer fairly detailed questions about them.
 
<br>
 
:{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/greenplants/restricted/Lab4%265.pdf}} Handout for labs 4 & 5
 
===2nd Field Trip -CHANGE OF DATE AND PLACE!!! now Sunday Sept. 28th. - Watch Hill, RI===
 
Meet at TLS 115, 10:45am. Leave campus at 11am. Return by 7-ish.
 
===Lab 5 - September 29th===
 
First 5 identified taxa due (this is negotiable but highly recommended). <br>
 
We're using the same handout as in lab 4 and we will go over life cycles of brown algae, so bring your handout from last Wednesday's lecture.<br>
 
There will be fresh material to look at and there will be some points given for sectioning live ''Fucus'' and/or ''Laminaria'', so make sure I see your work at some point during the lab.
 
  
===Lab 6 - October 6th===
 
First, we'll go collecting around campus (in case of rain we'll go to the greenhouse). Then we'll make some semi-permanent slides and then we'll look at some prepared and fresh material.<br>
 
:{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/greenplants/restricted/Lab6%267%202008.pdf}} Lab6&7 2008.pdf
 
:{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/greenplants/restricted/Making%20semipermanent%20slides.pdf}} Making semipermanent slides.pdf
 
  
===Lab 7 - October 13th===
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===Lab 11 - November 8===  
We'll be using the same handout as last week. You'll finish looking at prepared and fresh material and we'll go on a brief tour of the collections facility. If there is time left, you are welcome to work on your IDs. Also, I will be in lab from 1pm on, so feel free to come early and work on whatever you need. If there is interest, I can be there before or after lecture as well, or at least leave the room open for you. Let me know. <br>
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Field trip to collect freshwater lake samples. 3 taxa due for collection. <br>
  
===Lab 8 - October 20th===
 
Quiz 2 on brown and green algae. <br>
 
We will go collecting out- or indoors, and we will look at prepared slides of diatoms and some fresh material.
 
:{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/greenplants/restricted/Lab8%269%202008.pdf}} Handout for labs 8 and 9.
 
  
===Lab 9 - October 27th===
 
We will go collect some diatoms from the greenhouse, then go over some basic terms in diatom morphology and finish looking at prepared material. If you have time left, you should work on your identifications. <br>
 
I will also explain how to record coordinates on your microscope stage, which you will need to do for your microalgae collection. <br>
 
Next 10 taxa will be due in two weeks (again, this is negotiable, but the semester is going fast, so I highly recommend getting them to me as soon as you can).
 
  
===Lab 10 - November 3rd===
 
:{{pdf|http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/greenplants/restricted/Lab10%202008.pdf}} Handout for Lab 10
 
  
  
  
  
[[Image:Chroococcus tenax.jpg|thumb|right| ''Chroococcus tenax'']] <br>
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===Links===
'''Some cool links'''<br>
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If you'd like to explore the amazing world of algal diversity, here's a couple of links I personally find cool. <br>
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[http://www.tolweb.org/tree/ The Tree of Life] is a nice one to start with. Can you locate algae on the tree of life? Are they in a single place, all neatly together? Well, look and see.<br>
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[http://galerie.sinicearasy.cz/main.php This] is a nice gallery of algae images, sorted by phylum. <br>
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If you know what organism you are looking for, you will likely find it [http://www.algaebase.org/index.lasso here]. No pictures though.<br>
 
If you know what organism you are looking for, you will likely find it [http://www.algaebase.org/index.lasso here]. No pictures though.<br>
 
Some info on [http://www.seaweed.ie/ macroscopic marine algae].<br>
 
Some info on [http://www.seaweed.ie/ macroscopic marine algae].<br>

Revision as of 15:20, 22 October 2012

Oxygen bubbles, green algae, and a snail.

EEB 3250/5250 Lab

Thursdays 2-4:50pm
TA: Simona Augyte
Contact: simona.augyte@uconn.edu

Stephanie doing a plankton tow at Mirror Pond. Photo by S.Augyte.

General Info
The labs will follow the syllabus outlined on the Biology of the Algae HuskyCT site. Lab handouts will be posted there 1-2 weeks ahead of the lab. It will save you some time and stress if you read the handout before the lab.

Matt and Taylor collecting freshwater algae from a stream on campus. Photo by S.Augyte.


Lab 1 - August 30

Field trip around campus. Collected microalgae using a plankton net from Mirror Pond.


Lab 2 - September 6

Brown Algae
Made colorful algal beads from brown algal extracts, recipe courtesy of PSA.

Steve and Amy adding color to the sodium alginate mix. Photo by S.Augyte.
Jacqueline, Amy, Silvana, and Jennifer adding colorful beads to calcium chloride. Photo by S. Augyte.
Final product - colorful algal beads. Photo by S. Augyte.


Lab 3 - September 13

Brown Algae. We will be using the handouts from last time. Don't forget to bring them to lab. This lab may not be as busy as the previous one, but take this as an opportunity to look at the specimens and slides again if you need to.

A very small Ceramium collected at Avery Point, Sept. 15, 2012. Photo by P. Lewis.


1st Field Trip - September 15

A great trip to Avery Point!

Hard at work pressing algae, Avery Point, Sept. 15, 2012. Photo by P. Lewis.


Lab 4 - September 20

Lab Quiz 1 and Red Algae Lab


Lab 5 - September 27

Red Algae II. Students got to sample home-made "jello" from extracts of a red alga, topped with whipped cream made with carrageenan courtesy of Dr. Lewis.

Algal jello, Sept. 27, 2012. Photo by Daniel Cole.


Lab 6 - October 4

Intro to green algae - Charophyta.


Lab 7 - October 11

Green algae - Chlorophyta.

Coenocytic green - dead man's fingers. Photo by S.Augyte.


Lab 8 - October 18

Lab Quiz 2. Intro to Diatoms. Start growth experiment.


Lab 9 - October 25

Continue with diatoms, take pictures of fresh material for making a poster. Collect diatoms from the greenhouse.


Lab 10 - November 1

Synurophytes, Crysophytes, Euglenophytes and Dinoflagellates.


Lab 11 - November 8

Field trip to collect freshwater lake samples. 3 taxa due for collection.




Links

If you know what organism you are looking for, you will likely find it here. No pictures though.
Some info on macroscopic marine algae.
Here you can find information on some of the morphologically most impressive algae - diatoms and desmids.
More about desmids here.

  • Virtual Phycology Collection at the George Stafford Torrey Herbarium, University of Connecticut. This contains over 800 images of pressed, dried algae on herbarium sheets.