[vernalpool] pool critter activity and algae

I've been checking some pools in Shirley, Leominster, and Worcester
over the past few weeks, and have the following observations:

Peepers started early, mid-March and seem still to be going strong.
Empty peeper eggs and many small tadpoles in the Leominster pools
(presumably peepers) as of yesterday.

I have not heard noisy congregations of wood frogs yet, although I was
told of a great one in the Fells a week ago; no rafts of wood frog egg
masses yet seen. One wood frog male heard and one egg mass observed in
Leominster on 3/26, but that egg mass is now high and dry.

One newly laid wood frog egg mass observed yesterday in Leominster, as
well as two very small spotted salamander masses.

The pools are much lower than usual for this time of year and have
dropped c. 10 cm in
the past week and a half.

I, too, have observed algae on leaf surfaces more extensive than
usual, but that is not surprising -- less water in pools means less
dilution by groundwater and rainfall/snowmelt, so early spring
nutrients are probably at higher concentrations than in high-water
years, and hence less likelihood of nutrient limitation for algae. I
have not tested nutrient concentrations, but this is a likely
explanation, I think.

Also, low water levels seem to be translating to lower numbers of
fairy shrimp. Has anyone else observed this? Their eggs reportedly are
left preferentially in shallow littoral areas before pool drying and
therefore are not getting flooded this year -- at least not so far.

Caddisflies seem to be doing well. Keep hoping for a bit of rain for
both pools and the
rest of the landscape.

Happy ponding, Betsy