ISTH was established to help tardigrade researchers engage and collaborate with the public. On this page you will find information on how to contact us whether you be a student, teacher, researcher, or just a good old fashioned tardigrade enthusiast. If you do not find the specific information you are looking for please use the contact form at the bottom of this page or email us directly at tardigradehunters@gmail.com.
Are you a tardigrade hunter?
Did you find a tardigrade? Many tardigrade enthusiasts have small dissecting microscopes that are great for using to search for and observing tardigrades. But maybe you want to see your tardigrades claws, spikes, armor, or eyes closeup and in detail. For that you'll need a compound microscope with 200-1000X magnification. Those are usually pretty expensive - so if you don't have one of these fancy microscopes we'd be happy to try taking a look at your prized find for you, take some pictures and identify it, and maybe even feature it (and you!) on your tardigrade of the week blog.
Besides getting some great pictures of your tardigrade, you'll be contributing to the study of these amazing animals biology and ecology as we may use your specimen for additional scientific investigations such as sequencing of new species.
Please send your finds to:
Dr. Thomas Boothby
University of Wyoming
Dept. MOLB
1000 E. University Ave.
Laramie, WY 82071
Please send your tardigrade in a small, sealable, plastic (no glass) container. The easiest and safest way for you to get us your find is by sending it in a 1.5mL microcentrifuge tube. These can be purchased in bulk from amazon or Carolina Biological. If you don't want to buy hundreds of these tubes and just want a few then send a self addressed and stamped envelope to the address above with a request for a centrifuge tube and we will provide a few.
Please include with your submission the following:
How many tardigrades do you think are in your tube?
Where did you find them (City, County, State, Country, etc)?
What did you find them on (Moss, lichen etc)?
Approximately what date did you find your tardigrade or collect the sample of moss you found it on?
Optional:
Any information about yourself you'd like to share that we can use if your specimen is highlighted on our blog. E.g. your name, age, where you go/went to school, your other hobbies, how long you've been hunting tardigrades, etc.
***Please note we will not be able to return your tardigrade to you - but if you include your email address with your submission we will send you any images and information we get about your prized find.***
***We try to look at every specimen we receive. However, we cannot guarantee that your specimen will get imaged or featured on our blog.***
Besides getting some great pictures of your tardigrade, you'll be contributing to the study of these amazing animals biology and ecology as we may use your specimen for additional scientific investigations such as sequencing of new species.
Please send your finds to:
Dr. Thomas Boothby
University of Wyoming
Dept. MOLB
1000 E. University Ave.
Laramie, WY 82071
Please send your tardigrade in a small, sealable, plastic (no glass) container. The easiest and safest way for you to get us your find is by sending it in a 1.5mL microcentrifuge tube. These can be purchased in bulk from amazon or Carolina Biological. If you don't want to buy hundreds of these tubes and just want a few then send a self addressed and stamped envelope to the address above with a request for a centrifuge tube and we will provide a few.
Please include with your submission the following:
How many tardigrades do you think are in your tube?
Where did you find them (City, County, State, Country, etc)?
What did you find them on (Moss, lichen etc)?
Approximately what date did you find your tardigrade or collect the sample of moss you found it on?
Optional:
Any information about yourself you'd like to share that we can use if your specimen is highlighted on our blog. E.g. your name, age, where you go/went to school, your other hobbies, how long you've been hunting tardigrades, etc.
***Please note we will not be able to return your tardigrade to you - but if you include your email address with your submission we will send you any images and information we get about your prized find.***
***We try to look at every specimen we receive. However, we cannot guarantee that your specimen will get imaged or featured on our blog.***
Are you a teacher?
Is your class studying tardigrades or are you interested in developing an educational activity with your students involving these fascinating animals? One of the main goals of ISTH is to foster public education and engagement in science and tardigrade biology. We can provide information on tardigrade biology and ecology, live specimens, additional tips for finding your own tardigrades, etc. If interested please contact us using the form below.
Are you a researcher studying tardigrades?
Do you study tardigrades? If so we'd love to hear from you and have you contribute information, media, and your expertise to the ISTH website. Please contact us using the form below.
