Completion of Tardigrade Inventory

We believe we can complete the inventory of water bears in the coming year. To date (Jan ‘09) we have identified 13,538 specimens, discovering 57 new records for the park, and 18 species new to science. This is the second largest inventory of tardigrades ever completed, and the first to create a computer, georeferenced database. We now have 6 publications in refereed journals on our work in the park, with descriptions of 6 new species. Funding for next year will allow us to complete the lab processing for the final 25 (of 700) samples, to continue describing new species, and to complete a study of the ecology of soil tardigrades in the park. Additionally we will work with undergraduate researchers including one project assessing the impact of the pesticide imidacloprid on soil meiofauna and tardigrades.