Samples of resting stages (ephippia) of various species of the cladoceran genus Daphnia will be collected from various temporary as well as permanent water bodies in the vicinity but also partly within the Doñana national park. This is a part of a larger project aiming to characterise the variation of ephippia of all species present in Europe and the Mediterranean. Sampling in Doñana would allow us to obtain material for species common in the region but restricted to the Mediterranean (e.g., Daphnia mediterranea) or Iberian peninsula (D. hispanica).
Sampling for ephippia involves collection of a small amount of debris floating on the water surface, and/or of sediment (approx. 100-250 g of mud) accumulated on the bottom of the water body. A small sample of planktonic crustaceans will be collected to ethanol for reference purposes.