We started the next part of our “post-industrial waters project” – an experimental transplant of selected organisms among fly ash deposits and post-mining sites. By moving selected species of arthropods and communities of algea among freshwater bodies, we want to explore how they flourish under differing levels of heavy metal pollution. Andrea Landeira-Dabarca from David Boukal’s group is responsible for these experiments and she has prepared the first pilot trial with zygopteran larvae, and both natural and laboratory communities of algea. Two weeks ago, the experimental cages (notice how carefully these were prepared by Andrea) were installed by the research team members. Andrea and Vojta Kolar have checked part of the algea transplants last week, it seems to work. We are going to check and collect all remaining cages in the coming week, a lot of curiosity and excitement how they work!
Cages for our pilot transplant experiment. ©A. Landeira-Dabarca
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