Definitely zooplankton! Always a good sign. Another term for zooplankton is "groceries".
I'm hoping that Bill Cody can get a look at that video. For a "you-tube" video I thought the quality was actually quite good.
It will be interesting to watch that jar over the next few days. I'm sure you already realize that this water may be as clear as you every see it. One interesting phenomenon I've seen on turbid mid-western ponds is that they often grow a mat of filamentous algae on the pond bottom during the winter because it's the only time of year that there is adequate light penetration. This filamentous algae sequesters nutrients and can keep the water really clean looking until the first big rain or wind event after ice off. Then the ensuing decrease in light level causes the demise of the filamentous algae on the bottom. It makes for a pretty bad combination of suspended sediment and dying microphytic vegetation.
What is that finger like structure traversing the pond in the upper quintile? Almost looks like a little sediment nutrient dike. I also see you've got some nice filter strips to protect you a little from the influx of silt and attached nitrogen and phosphorous you're getting out of that row crop activity.
I think the key to ponds like this is to do what you can to keep water clean in the spring, which may not be much, and then to maximize the growth of your fish during the other three seasons. It can really be a challenge.
