Fungus - invertebrate interactions in leaf litter decomposition in aquatic ecosystems - request for a compound microscope

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Aquatic hyphomycete fungi contribute to the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems, and play the primary role in converting organic matter (e.g. terrestrial leaf litter) into materials that can be consumed by animals within aquatic food-webs.  The identification and enumeration of fungi are based largely on their spores requiring a high-quality compound microscope.  Interactions between fungi and invertebrate animals involved in consumption of fungi and organic matter will be experimentally manipulated to test hypotheses about the nature of these competitive and predator-prey interactions. Many other functionally critical components of aquatic food-webs, such as algae, bacteria, and small invertebrates also require high magnification for identification and enumeration.  As a part of my research into the environmental basis of productivity and biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems, the details of the interactions at the scale of these microscopic organisms become increasingly essential.  This microscope is essential for pursuit of this line of research.