California Anostraca and Notostraca Identification Class

Required Materials

Each student MUST bring to class:

A dissecting microscope with objectives ranging from 1X to 4X or greater. (or as close as possible). Your microscope needs substage lighting capability included. No compound scopes allowed.
One or more high quality light source(s). High intensity desk lamp $10 work well. Power strips are helpful. Bring colored pencils or pens for accenting the handouts and book pictures.
Furnished Materials: Reprint of Book (Eriksen & Belk (1999) Fairy Shrimps of California's Puddles, Pools, and Playas) handout sheets and reprints of pertinent papers, and one pair of Featherweight forceps. Some handouts will be sent to you via email, and you need to print them off and bring them with you.

Course Outline

Day 1

Lecture: Mary Belk will discuss Branchiopod general biology, ecology, zoo-geography, and conservation. Followed by a discussion of morphology of fairy shrimp and tadpole shrimp. Questions are welcome at any point both during and after these presentations. We will view an award winning video on large Branchiopod crustaceans - fairy shrimps, clam shrimps, and tadpole shrimps. The class will include PowerPoint presentations of the 25 California species illustrating key characters.

Laboratory: Mary Belk will discuss techniques useful in studying fairy shrimps under the microscope and using the revised key fashioned after Eriksen and Belk (1999) and update sheets provided in class. The key and update sheets will be used to identify study specimens of the California fairy shrimp and tadpole shrimp species. Mary Belk will work individually with each student during this exercise helping each person learn how to see key characters.

Day 2

Mary will begin the class by stepping through the key couplet by couplet with the use of a PowerPoint presentation. Students will resume individual study aided by Mary.

Day 3

Students may spend some time studying. Students will take a practical examination during which they will identify a set of test specimens using the key and their notes (Open book test).

Follow Up

A letter of participation in the course citing the results of the practical examination will be sent to each student by Mary Belk after class completion. Save the original of this letter and attach a copy to your permit application.

Registration

The cost of the course is $1000 per person (payment required in advance). Checks should be made payable to Mary Schug Belk and mailed to the address below. You may use a card and pay via PayPal.com to mbelk1938@hotmail.com.

Mary Schug Belk

1320 Winding Way, New Braunfels, TX 78132
Cell phone: 210-842-9152
mbelk1938@hotmail.com or fairyshrimpid@gmail.com

FWS Permit information

Date & Time:
January 22-24, 2025
8:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wed., Thur. & Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Location:
Madrona Marsh and Nature Center
3201 Plaza Del Amo, Torrance, CA 90503
Phone: 310-782-3989