Kelly Stettner, director of the Black River Action Team sent in this photo of a 6-foot-long something in the water of Muckross Pond in Springfield, Vermont. What is it?
Answer
A bryozoan colony. Bryozoans are microscopic aquatic invertebrates that live in colonies, which can take on large formations like the one photographed. Stettner said these colonies are filter feeders and generally an indicator of good water quality. “This colony was roughly 6 feet long, and I could see dozens of smaller colonies in the pond, just below the surface and built around submerged branches,” she said. “I’ve seen them almost every year at Muckross Pond, though this year seems to have a remarkable number of really extensive, robust colonies.” (To learn more about bryozoan colonies, check out this link.)
This week’s contest winner was Julie Hand