Where Do They Live?
They can be found in small roadside mosses, tree bark, rocks, concrete, soil, and other substrates. Tardigrades may still be waiting to be recorded in places close to you.
Tardigrades
About Tardigrades
Tardigrades are tiny animals that live in familiar mosses. They are so small that they are difficult to see with the naked eye, but they can live in everyday environments around us.
Although the Japanese name contains the word “mushi” (bug),they are not insects. They belong toTardigrada,a unique animal phylumconsisting of tardigrades.
Macrobiotus sp.
Credit: Haruka Nara
How Do We Find Them?
Collected moss is soaked in water, and the tiny animals that emerge are searched for under a microscope. Researchers confirm the results in this project, but anyone with access to a microscope can observe tardigrades.
Why Are They Called “Extremophiles”?
Some tardigrades contract into a tun state when dry and enter anhydrobiosis. Their remarkable tolerance to environmental stress in this state has made them famous as exceptionally resilient animals.
Research
What We Want to Learn
We still lack information about which mosses tardigrades prefer and where different taxa occur. Kumamuchizu searches participant-collected moss for tardigrades and records where they are found, in what environments, and which taxa occur. Each record may be small on its own, but many records together can reveal regional distributions and environmental relationships.
Researchers examine the moss you collect and share information derived from morphology and DNA through the map and tardigrade guide.
There is still a chance of discovering species that are unknown to science.
A new tardigrade species could even be discovered in moss that you collect!
Workflow
Citizen–Researcher Workflow
Researchers examine participant-collected moss for tardigrades and turn the results into maps, guide entries, and research data.
Participants
Find Moss
Collect a small amount from a familiar place and record the date and location in Epicollect5.
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Researchers
Check for Tardigrades
Search the sample for tardigrades, observe them under a microscope, identify them, and conduct DNA analyses.
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Share and Expand
Add to the Map and Guide
Publish appropriate information on the map and guide and use the data for distribution studies and phylogenetic analyses.
Let's search!
Let's Search for Tardigrades!
We collect tiny tardigrade records from everyday moss.
It is serious research, but getting started can be as simple as taking a closer look at nearby moss.
