Chronicles: Page 14

After heavy algae pressure, most of the sponge appeared lost, but a small colored section still suggested possible survival. The light period was reduced to slow algae growth, and the oysters on the other side still appeared to be doing fine while the system waited for better water movement.

The land and mangrove areas remained fairly stable, but the marine side became cloudy again after filamentous algae was physically removed from the grass. With the sponge failing and oyster condition uncertain, the next focus shifted toward improving water flow before restocking for balance.

The marine tank looked artificially different after a major manual algae removal. Although the mottled shore crab had been grazing algae, the sponge appeared overwhelmed, so algae was removed by hand to restore water flow around the sponge and try to keep it alive.

The green sea slug was identified as Elysia chlorotica, and the eggs on the glass were also tied to that individual. Under the microscope the eggs were visibly developing and beginning to hatch, turning one isolated slug into a possible reproductive milestone for the coastal system.

A rough 3D-printed prototype demonstrated the core wave and tide concept: a pipe would push and pull water to create waves, while the whole mechanism could move vertically to change tide level. The prototype was noisy and rough, but it proved the mechanical direction.

Ludwigia in the lakeshore ecosystem was establishing better than expected despite crayfish pressure. As the plants produced dead leaves, they were expected to feed and shelter amphipods and isopods, while grasshoppers on the land side continued to graze but may have been escaping through vented atmosphere openings.

The ecosystem project was beginning a shift toward longform videos, which meant fewer shorts while the wave system and broader documentation continued. The update also introduced the OpenOcular smartphone-to-microscope adapter and the plan to use it for close-up observations.

Turbo snails were added to reduce algae overgrowth, but progress was slower than expected and possible snail eggs appeared on the glass. At the same time, the sponge was growing steadily, adding a new branch and showing that it was still feeding despite clearer water.

A wave and tide system was being designed from scratch for the coastal marine ecosphere. The design needed to be gentle on plankton, strong enough to create realistic current, able to simulate tides, contain water, and remain repairable from outside the future closed system.

With algae running out of control, turbo snails were added as fast grazers to consume filamentous algae. The expectation was that their waste would release nutrients back into the water, feeding plankton that could then be filtered by oysters and sponges, creating a more complete producer-consumer loop.

After sponges and oysters cleared the plankton, nutrients shifted into filamentous algae growing across the marine system. More shore crabs became the next proposed control layer because existing females were already eating the algae, but males were needed for a reproducing population.

A second jellyfish species appeared in the coastal ecosystem, perching with tentacles spread like a web while small plankton and a swimming worm moved near it. Its identity was still unknown, making this another unexpected marine diversity record.

miniBIOTA 2 received Ludwigia, dwarf hairgrass, and about a dozen grasshoppers to increase productivity and nutrient cycling. The plants were intended to create more food and habitat, while grasshoppers began grazing the land plants and returning nutrients through droppings.

A nighttime marine observation showed the sponge actively ejecting filtered water, tiny jellyfish in medusa stages using the current, and another round of porcelain crab zoea drifting through the system. The entry captures a dense nighttime food-web scene shaped by sponge-driven water movement.

miniBIOTA 2 became muddy after new plants were added, but the mess was expected while the plants established and crayfish rearranged the habitat. Grasshoppers were also introduced on the land side to graze grass and return nutrients to the soil, setting up a multi-week test of nutrient turnover.

After sponges and oysters cleared the plankton, dissolved nutrients became available to macroalgae growing over the seagrass. The algae bloom looked messy, but it created food and shelter for amphipods and isopods, setting up a possible trophic cascade into higher-level animals.

A modular marine ecosystem inventory recorded a dense food web: crabs, shrimp, worms, macroalgae, snails, hermit crabs, pipefish, a sea slug, isopods, amphipods, tiny sea anemones, porcelain crabs, and multi-generational marginellas. The entry functions as a snapshot of the system's diversity before later changes.

The wave system build advanced with a brace that kept the U-bend still so it would not add pressure to the glass or coupler. The flexible coupler remained the moving part, allowing a future actuator to raise and lower the chamber and push water in and out of the ecosystem.

A new sponge that had acclimated for a week showed short-term success, with open oscula and a visible current of filtered water. Porcelain crabs and a fiddler crab used it as habitat, while the sponge added another biological filter for the smallest suspended particles.

A nighttime observation in the clearer saltwater system revealed a pipefish hunting through the grass and tiny zooplankton moving through the water. The plankton were identified as porcelain crab zoea, meaning the porcelain crabs were reproducing inside miniBIOTA.