An investigation of aquatic oomycetes in five areas of Pleasant Prairie Township

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the types of Oomycetes present in selected aquatic habitats in Pleasant Prairie Township, Eenosha County, Wisconsin. Pleasant Prairie was selected because no previous studies of this nature had been made there. The five habitats chosen were the Des Plaines River, Lake Michigan, Barnes Creek, Mahoney' creek and Mahoney's Pond.. The method of obtaining the samples were a modification of the trapping techniques proposed by Patterson in 1967 and Nelson in 1969. Baby food jars containing either hemp seeds or dead flies were placed in a styrofoam float and covered with cheese cloth. They were then partially fi11ed with water and inverted mouth down in the surface water of the selected site. Through the use of the traps and pure culture techniques on Difco Corn Meal agar, it was determined that there were at least five types of Oomycetes present. The organisms found were Saprolegnia ferax (Gruiithuison, Thuret), Saprolegnia diclina (Humphrey), Apodachyella completa (Humphey, Indoh), Dictyucbus sp., and Pythium sp. Selected micrographs have been included to illustrate the structures involved in classifying these organisms.