Small water bodies teem with life

In early summer, seawater warms slowly and is still occasionally mixed by the wind, causing colder water from the bottom to rise to the top. Small ponds, on the other hand, warm up quickly due to being shallow and having no real water circulation. They are also rich in nutrients, thus offering excellent conditions for breeding and growth early in the summer. As such, ponds are soon filled with frog, toad and newt tadpoles scurrying about under the surface. There are also countless invertebrates that thrive in ponds, both above and under the surface. In addition to offering warmth and food, small water bodies also have a third advantage: they are often free of fish, meaning that they are home to fewer predators overall.