'We found this naked amoeba in a sample of our compost. I sped the video to 8 times because it was moving pretty slow. This amoeba is considered naked because is does not have a protective shell and is free flowing. It moves by extending and retracting pseudopods. Amoeba engulf pray by surrounding them with their pseudopods. This amoeba is a single celled aerobic organism and feeds on bacteria. Amoeba are beneficial soil organisms because they cycle nutrients be eating bacteria and excreting nutrient rich waste that plant roots can absorb. Amoeba are commonly found in compost and living soil and are an important part of the soil food web. This amoeba is one of the typical microorganisms I find in the compost liquid I make with my AeromatiCo composter. The AeromatiCo composter works by continuously aerating the compost with an industrial air pump that delivers 60 liters of air per minute. Amoeba are one of many beneficial organisms that populate the organic matter and break it down into liquid compost. I drench my garden beds and potted plants with the liquid compost which inoculates the living soil with a diverse set of microbes creating a thriving soil food web. video details microscope: Olympus CX23 camera: Olympus LC30 objective: 40x (400x total magnification)'
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