This project focuses on developing an interactive identification key designed to assist researchers, educators, and enthusiasts in accurately identifying tardigrade species. Tardigrades, often referred to as water bears, are microscopic organisms found in diverse environments, from deep oceans to mountain tops. Due to their small size and subtle morphological differences, distinguishing between species can be challenging.

The tardigrade key will feature a step-by-step filtering system, allowing users to narrow down species based on characteristics such as body shape, claw structure, cuticle type, and buccal apparatus features. By providing visual aids, glossary definitions, and digital illustrations, this project aims to make the classification process more accessible to students, citizen scientists, and professional researchers alike.

This project aims to create a comprehensive and user-friendly tardigrade identification key that covers a wide range of known species across different habitats. Tardigrades belong to multiple classes, orders, families, and genera, each with distinct morphological traits. This project will compile updated taxonomic data into a filtering tool, allowing users to identify species using categories such as:

• Class (Eutardigrada, Heterotardigrada)
• Order (e.g., Apochela, Parachela)
• Family
• Genus

The tardigrade key will combine descriptive text with high-resolution images and diagrams, ensuring accuracy in species identification. This tool will be valuable for biodiversity monitoring, ecological research, and environmental studies where tardigrades serve as important bioindicators.