Creating a Seasonal Wetland Ecosphere! │INSTANT LIFE and RARE Copepods!

In this video we create an ecosphere from a Seasonal Wetland. These habitats are known for flooding during the winter months and then dry up during the summer months. Due to the seasonal changes within this habitat they tend to support greater biodiversity and specialized species. The aquatic species go into dormancy every summer when their water source dries out. Adult organisms and eggs hide within the soil. They then wait for rain to flood the grassland and create pools. I was very surprised to see Epibiotic Algae growing on some of the copepods. Being able to capture such a thing on video is something I didn't think I'd ever have the opportunity to do. The relationship between epibiotic organisms and their host are poorly understood and rarely studied, which is why I think it's so cool to have some in this ecosphere. There was a lot of other organisms I failed to capture for the video. I also believe new organisms will pop up in future update videos. The sheer number of species I've seen is astounding! This video was a mammoth task to create. If you liked it show me some love in the comments! :)