On the last day of the September expedition of the Biodiversity of Livingston project part of the team went to visually document underwater species in Cañon del Río, Río Dulce, Livingston area. We found aquatic plants.
We use the new underwater photography equipment a SONY RX100 VII camera, a SONY Underwater Housing MPK-URX100A, and a Weefine Ring Light 1000. Here we show you the results.
Brandon Hidalgo and Victor Mendoza using the new underwater photography equipment.
Potamogeton illinoensis photographed by Victor Mendoza using the Sony RX100, Cañon de Rio Dulce.
Macrophytes are characterized by have been adapted to aquatic life, which is why they have a thin epidermis, dysfunctional stomata and little lignified elements. They inhabit lagoons, dams, swamps, riverbanks, lakes and even the seas. These are important since they serve as a filter for nutrients in water bodies, in addition to producing oxygen and can maintain the ecological balance in their aquatic habitat.
In Rio Dulce, different macrophytes were found, among which Potamogeton illinoensis, Vallisneria americana, Nymphaea ampla, and an introduced species called Hydrilla sp.
| CLASSIFICATION | CHARACTERISTIC |
|---|
| Emerging rooted macrophytes | They are rooted at the bottom of the water body, but their leaf and flora parts emerge from the water. |
| Floating rooted macrophytes | They are rooted at the bottom of the body of water and their foliar and floral parts only float in the mirror of the water. |
| Submerged Rooted Macrophytes | They are rooted at the bottom of the body of water and their foliar and floral psartes are submerged in the water. |
| Floating macrophytes | They are floating in the mirror of the water and their roots are not anchored to the bottom of the body of wáter. |
Posted September 27, 2021
Written by Vivian Hurtado & Roxana Leal
Identified Species by Victor Mendoza
