Tiny Drifters in San Francisco Bay
By Anna McGaraghan
On October 16th, the San Francisco Microscopical Society hosted our second event at Field Lab in San Francisco’s Mission District, gathering to view, explore, and draw microscopic plankton from San Francisco Bay. The bay’s waters are teeming with a lively, diverse community of microscopic organisms, and we had a great time observing the weird and intricate creatures with attendees!
Drawing one of the dinoflagellates that appeared in our plankton sample. Photo: Matt Biddulph
Comparing notes on phytoplankton identification and photography. Photo: Matt Biddulph
Our samples for the event were collected from the NOAA tide station near Crissy Field, and at the Port View Park Fishing Pier in Oakland. Available to touch and explore were the two plankton nets used for sampling; a wide-mouth net with larger mesh size for collecting tiny animals called zooplankton, and a narrower net with a smaller mesh for collecting single-celled, plant-like phytoplankton. The composition and weave of the mesh was of particular interest to a materials engineer in attendance.
Collecting a phytoplankton sample with a net in Oakland before the event. Photo: Anna McGaraghan
The plankton sample. Look closely – can you see anything drifting in the water inside the jar? Photo: Anna McGaraghan
Topics of conversation ranged from plankton to photography to 3D-printed radiolarians to scientific illustration, and one attendee even brought a water sample from her birdbath! Participants were able to try four different microscopes, and there were animated discussions about what was discovered. The excitement and enthusiasm shared between plankton scientists and members who may have been viewing plankton for the first time was wonderful. An array of plankton ID books, art and photography books, and art supplies encouraged some to try their hand at drawing what they viewed through the microscope. Though many different types of organisms were in our sample, one very charismatic polychaete worm stole the show.
Preparing a slide with a water sample from a participant’s birdbath. Photo: Matt Biddulph
Viewing a plankton sample through one of the Society’s vintage microscopes. Photo: Matt Biddulph
The Society’s mission is to bring people together across all disciplines of science and the arts, and this event was a great success. Participants shared lively conversation with people from a variety of science and art backgrounds, and we can thank the beautiful microscopic plankton world for bringing us together for an afternoon.
Plankton scientist Janai talks to the group. Photo: Matt Biddulph
A beautiful, detailed view of a polychaete worm. Photo: Anna McGaraghan