Easy observation and filming of plankton

When investigating water samples within the framework of hydrobiology, it is very easy to observe and film plankton with the Motic AE31E inverted microscope and the Moticam 1080 camera. The plankton containing water sample is stored in a culture dish, the bottom of which is formed by a calibrated cover glass. The dish is simply placed on the microscope stage. The Moticam 1080 is connected to a monitor. As soon as an interesting organism appears on the monitor screen, it only needs a simple mouse click to record the image.

A Casuarina cunninghamiana from Australia

The Casuarina cunninghamiana or the River She-Oak is a large, fast-growing, pine-like tree native to the east of New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. The tree, an evergreen, has thin needle-like, flexible green twigs practically without leaves. An image of a cross section thereof is shown here. The epidermis shows a structure which is a little similar to that of pine needles.

The Casuarina cunninghamiana is one of the tallest trees of its kind and can reach a height of 30-35 m. Its straight stem branches are quite low and its bark is greyish brown, rough and cracked so that it often comes loose in strips. The plants can easily be grown from seeds. In some countries it is considered an invasive species because it can surpass indigenous plant communities.