Marine Cladocerans Form and Function: Biological Illustration
Did you know there are only 8 species of ocean crustaceans in the order Cladocera (commonly called "water fleas") compared to over 600 freshwater species? Brianna compiled information about this under-studied group of organisms and created illustrations for each of the species from all photos available online.
Intern(s):
Brianna Brookes
Mentor(s):
Li Murphy
Project Period:
2019-2020
Team:
LES
Brianna's study compared natural histories and forms of the species she illustrated. She gave a compelling presentation using data about species distribution to make observations about the form as it related to the organisms' ecosystem functions. She ended with a question about whether or not any of these species could be found near NYC and shortly after was a part of an expedition that used plankton nets to survey invertebrates in Coney Island Creek that found a marine cladoceran specimen!
This page was originally developed by BioBus Summer 2021 Jr. Scientist William Rhee.