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Preservation and computer-aided microscopic analysis of planktonic
Protozoa and algae
Miles Legner & W. Gary Sprules
Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, Erindale
Campus, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada
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Abstract
Samples of microplankton and larger nanoplankton (5
to 200 µm) are preserved with a combination of Lugol's solution
and DaFano's fixative. Organisms are then settled on a gelatin-coated
slide, dried and embedded in 40 percent glycerin. Counting and sizing
is performed under a microscope using a drawing tube, which facilitates
measuring the organisms with a microcomputer-interfaced caliper.
An interactive computer program, written in BASIC, allows for estimating
the volumes of cells in up to 40 shape/species categories. The program
then saves data on a disk, retrieves them, and calculates the results
either for individual species (abundance, biomass, and mean cell
volume) or as a pooled size spectrum of all organisms measured.
Keywords: preservation, electronic caliper, biomass estimation,
settling chambers, Protozoa, phytoplankton,
biomass size spectrum
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