Abundant life in ponds and streams
As the weather gets warmer aquatic life in Britain becomes more active and abundant, so it's a good time for pond dipping and water sampling. There are many ways in which you can inspect and identify your catch in the field and back at base. What equipment you should choose depends on how rigorously you need to inspect samples.
Magnification for identification
For initial observations and classification out on site there are a few options. Hand lenses may be used but can be fiddly with a lively specimen! Simple magnification boxes or pots are a cheap and simple way to view specimens. They have the advantage of being able to view specimens in water - important when observing delicate features such as gill structures. Some have a scale etched into the bottom for rough measurements. Field microscopes such as the Trekker have a focus range suitable for viewing most freshwater invertebrates. The higher magnification allows you to see finer details required for accurate identification of certain species, yet compact and light enough to slip into a backpack.
Fun for kids
The Motic LM-100 is a basic, lightweight field microscope but has zoom magnification. Although primarily designed for children, it can be a helpful little tool for fieldwork as well as educational purposes. Another great way to get kids exploring our aquatic life is with kits such as the Pond and Rock Pool Explorer Kit. It contains everything a budding naturalist needs - net, sorting equipment, field lens and guides.
Microscopic study
To identify many small aquatic animals to species level or study aquatic micro-organisms such as plankton, a traditional bench top type microscope may be better suited than field equipment. Stereomicroscopes such as the MX series are ideal for studying small freshwater invertebrates - the high quality 3D image produced allows the finest features to be seen. Models with zoom magnification such as the IMXZ have the greatest flexibility in viewing a variety of sizes of specimens or one specimen at various magnifications. High power compound microscopes are rarely used for studying catches from pond dipping, but they can be useful for looking at microscopic aquatic life such as plankton.
