Who doesn't love seawater? Apart from reminding us of the great times we spend swimming each summer, it also has wound-healing properties, as it's rich in other mineral salts such as sodium and iodine, and can be considered an antiseptic. However, do we ever think about how many live organisms exist in just a single drop of seawater?
With each gulp or splash of water in your eye, there are lots of tiny ecosystems you could accidentally ingest. The image captured by David Littschwager depicts what a single drop of ocean water comprises of.
What's in it is typical of what you would find in the ocean: from zooplankton to crab larva to fish eggs, worms, and bacteria, it is all in there.
The reason why those organisms are easily visible is because Littschwager magnified the drop 25 times while aboard the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration Ship Oscar Elton Sette in Hawaii. What is underneath it is a total mystery. You can visit Dive Shield to learn more about what's under this microscope.
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