tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35742321395920490922024-02-18T21:58:21.607-08:00MicroworldsBlog about photomicrography, fluorescent photography, travel and underwater worldsStarshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-48778737477240150102014-03-23T18:54:00.000-07:002015-08-06T03:11:40.445-07:00Slow Life<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="383" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/88829079?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="680"></iframe><br></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The most important living organisms that play the key functions in the biosphere might not seem exciting when it comes to motion. Plants, fungi, sponges, corals, plankton, and microorganisms make life on Earth possible and do all the hard biochemical job. Similarly to all living things, they are dynamic, mobile, and fundamentally have the same motion properties as us. They grow, reproduce, spread, move towards source of energy, and away from unfavorable conditions. However, their speeds happen to be out of sync with our narrow perception. Our brains are wired to comprehend and follow fast and dynamic events better, especially those very few that happen at speeds comparable to ours. In a world of blazingly fast predators and escaping prey events where it takes minutes, hours, or days to notice any changes are harder to grasp. </span></div>
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</div><a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2014/03/slow-life.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-63067236582285104732013-07-29T16:59:00.000-07:002015-08-06T03:19:17.716-07:00Polarized light vision and marine crustaceans<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7E3gdWqZCEdAg_56C-hBT1wPrUd-un6CM8e6N8AmMhImst2T6u0KBaEcRtuVPxOe_1GH98lvcwi7Ebt_8VpXk1O55m92z1A1MgwmQy6_oBhQ-bYOEKKnvaozd8W3zqDz_nsdvMqRCYWQ/s1600/amphi_860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7E3gdWqZCEdAg_56C-hBT1wPrUd-un6CM8e6N8AmMhImst2T6u0KBaEcRtuVPxOe_1GH98lvcwi7Ebt_8VpXk1O55m92z1A1MgwmQy6_oBhQ-bYOEKKnvaozd8W3zqDz_nsdvMqRCYWQ/s1600/amphi_860.jpg"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a real image of a marine amphipod without any fancy photoshop tricks. Understanding these diamond-like patterns will require knowledge about polarized light and the role of polarized vision in marine invertebrates.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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When light reaches our eyes we detect wavelength (color) and wave intensity (brightness) information. That is exactly what the brain needs to build a visual picture of the surrounding world. Yet a lot of other information is left out. UV and infrared parts of the spectrum are the most obvious examples. Well, technically the human retina is sensitive to UV, but the eye lens filters it out. That is why individuals missing eye lens, for example due to cataract surgery, can see UV light. Some parts of infrared waves can be sensed by the skin as heat, which is how we can estimate whether a frying pan is hot or not. These features, however, don’t make up for the limitation of our vision.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Aside from having a very narrow spectral sensitivity, we can’t detect light wave oscillation direction. This is another parameter of a wave in addition to wavelength and intensity. In the majority of cases each individual wave vibrates in a random orientation in a natural beam of light. But there are many natural exceptions that can be useful. This is why many types of invertebrates, birds, and fish found another visual world by means of enabling themselves to sense additional dimension of light—polarization and its angle.</div>
<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2013/07/polarized-vision-amphipod.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-34620729472833844022013-06-16T16:27:00.000-07:002015-08-06T03:23:54.732-07:00Fluorescent colors of the reef - why corals need colors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhin7Juk3ZYIi-g52BEsc_ey62Eguad6OikL8YpaFfnBX9-3A29GGcYB5lBz_p50ZPK-gbYPqZM4F0GDmZdGJoh3iZjH4xHXfZS-Pq-N9Xt-XlNch235o5S-NmUZ8JaJaNdk79DR5vZz8o/s1600/coral25_860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhin7Juk3ZYIi-g52BEsc_ey62Eguad6OikL8YpaFfnBX9-3A29GGcYB5lBz_p50ZPK-gbYPqZM4F0GDmZdGJoh3iZjH4xHXfZS-Pq-N9Xt-XlNch235o5S-NmUZ8JaJaNdk79DR5vZz8o/s1600/coral25_860.jpg"></a></div>
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Corals, like many representatives of marine life, are known to be strikingly colourful creatures. However, understanding the nature of those colours can be tricky. The most problematic part: there's no such thing as colour outside your head. Light differs in wavelength and those differences can be picked up by various receptors in the eye. Colours, in contrast, are born in the secondary visual cortex in the brain after a lot of information is processed. The brain decides how to render the information from the retina based on the context of the whole image. In other words, there's no easy correspondence between wavelength and colour. Every photographer is familiar with this concept as part of white balance correction.<br>
<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2013/06/fluorescent-colors-of-reef-coral.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-48909665982879297622013-06-01T22:07:00.000-07:002015-08-06T03:28:39.521-07:00A fancy scorpionfish and some thoughts on photography of animals in captivity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8uRFRIBdKxWAISiYgRMTWrbX4iPyRqZ_pvGaQm6aXMKqwydQiF7S-Txy8Sz3D03qvE9GdbzvhAcrEmI-eZSuzMlCdtU0LpxgbQeLM2cMV_Xxaez3pnjSDEjlDdLjlpJYpQ_Uy-iLrl5Q/s1600/lacy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8uRFRIBdKxWAISiYgRMTWrbX4iPyRqZ_pvGaQm6aXMKqwydQiF7S-Txy8Sz3D03qvE9GdbzvhAcrEmI-eZSuzMlCdtU0LpxgbQeLM2cMV_Xxaez3pnjSDEjlDdLjlpJYpQ_Uy-iLrl5Q/s1600/lacy2.jpg"></a></div>
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This is a lacy scorpionfish (<i>Rhinopias aphanes</i>). It's extremely rare and I know only one diver with 5000+ logged dives who have seen this gorgeous creature in its natural habitat. I guess that makes me fortunate to be able to see it, at least in an aquarium.<br>
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Unfortunately for this psychedelic fish, its beauty makes it very desirable among aquarists. In addition, it is so confident in its perfect camouflage that it simply doesn't bother to hide and sits in the most visible place of the tank. Most likely it also doesn't try to hide in its natural environment either and divers just miss it.<br>
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<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-fancy-scorpionfish-and-some-thoughts.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-14811645052977256842013-03-22T01:39:00.001-07:002015-08-06T03:33:42.310-07:00Back from rainy Great Barrier Reef - some wildlife and macro/micro shots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BqU0A-X-AaXwP8d9u73MYtPziFG4Yz6JughrH4KSLSKLQ6Y-16FvdXBWXAWCMy7k-UZM13SijgIq2Et_FEHjRSs3Uw9ZbPNn_AA25O_MVVC0shOiC4W35RXtrgO6_W9lmqzVSC20ch4/s1600/_DSC9805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BqU0A-X-AaXwP8d9u73MYtPziFG4Yz6JughrH4KSLSKLQ6Y-16FvdXBWXAWCMy7k-UZM13SijgIq2Et_FEHjRSs3Uw9ZbPNn_AA25O_MVVC0shOiC4W35RXtrgO6_W9lmqzVSC20ch4/s1600/_DSC9805.jpg"></a></div>
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The Great Barrier Reef is renowned for amazing underwater sights... but the weather might seriously let you down. I spent most of the two-week long field trip indoors cursing the weather, yet managed to get a few shots.<br>
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The field trip took place at Heron island, which is a large coral cay. University of Queensland has a research station there.<br>
<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2013/03/back-from-rainy-great-barrier-reef-some.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-37900703500737638492012-12-02T07:35:00.000-08:002015-08-06T03:42:44.904-07:00Divers vs reefs in Thailand<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIT6eaO7qDZELNog-oDfJHFTu5MaaFvBQHlwYwpocr6ngoZjdIUaUsqjidOynwAwRraGCGUOLHMYzjvupcTKSlWbxQxPp0SvzeEWiDI0wjQnhnHCjUs17rjEWvDnhwIb-x4eUJ_W9QKE/s1600/_DSC8170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIT6eaO7qDZELNog-oDfJHFTu5MaaFvBQHlwYwpocr6ngoZjdIUaUsqjidOynwAwRraGCGUOLHMYzjvupcTKSlWbxQxPp0SvzeEWiDI0wjQnhnHCjUs17rjEWvDnhwIb-x4eUJ_W9QKE/s1600/_DSC8170.jpg"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The picture above might look like something coming straight from my camera attached to my microscope, but don't be deceived. That's just bubble coral from the Indian Ocean and not even a macro shot.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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One of divers' mottoes is "take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but bubbles." But do divers really leave reefs unharmed? Being a biologist with reef conservation experience made me see my vacations differently. While everyone seems to come to tropical destinations to enjoy water activities, spend time on sunny beaches, and look at colorful fish and corals, I automatically start evaluating reef damage and looking for coral diseases. The last trip to Thailand made me question such things as whether or not conservation biologists are pessimistic in general or is it just me. I also started wondering if it's possible to come to a place without harming its environment, particularly if you are a diver.<br>
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<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2012/12/divers-vs-reefs-in-thailand.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-26825047204189964372012-11-04T07:51:00.000-08:002015-08-06T03:44:48.422-07:00Transparent water flea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/st4rshade/files/Simocephalus_3_larger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://sites.google.com/site/st4rshade/files/Simocephalus_3_larger.jpg"></a></div>
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Most of small and microscopic invertebrates are transparent and sometimes make you feel that they are made out of glass. That fact makes taking pictures very difficult. In case of this water flea, which happens to be <i>Simocephalus vetulus</i>, I spent 4 days by Photoshop manually stacking and stitching images and cursing all classes, orders, and families of crustaceans I could recall. No automatic software is capable of accomplishing this insane task. I find the combination of dark backgrounds and polarized light very spectacular for transparent animals in general, and though that at least one object deserved such attention. Hope it was worth it.<br>
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<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2012/11/transparent-water-flea.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-87985415867399064802012-09-24T00:05:00.000-07:002013-07-03T04:26:43.929-07:00Hydras fight for food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/st4rshade/files/Hydra2_bigger.jpg?attredirects=0" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://sites.google.com/site/st4rshade/files/Hydra2_bigger.jpg"></a></div>
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Hydras and daphnias became a "classical" pair of predator and prey model of pond microscopic animals. However, what is often forgotten, hydras tend to aggregate together in high numbers. Usually, the encounter is not like one hydra vs one daphnia. It's a real mess! During warm days it's possible to spot hundreds of these tiny hungry monsters on a single leaf laying underwater. Inevitably, they start competing for food. In this post I'll show how two hydras fight for a single water flea. Unlike in my other posts, the photographs are not made through the microscope. I tried Canon MP-E mounted on 7D for videography purposes, but made lots of stills during my project. May be these pictures will not impress you after previous hydra posts (<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2011/09/hydra-monstrous-freshwater-predator.html">1</a>,<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2012/04/hydra-dance.html">2</a>) but they show natural behavior. <br>
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<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2012/09/hydras-fight-for-food.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-19156157839751402182012-04-19T06:09:00.000-07:002013-08-24T21:41:48.837-07:00Mysterious Bryozoa<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9Z-gPPwQRc-jnkzV1lPL-hGFGCbQ_bugt1HcyCtpf2ETnMCX2gbNY2_7lgEUoteVIi3H9ucbDvbw3HqC_mACKGA_G2BBzFsH3X52ApRppS8qEOKxvbh44HvWg7X05l0NX4hP7NwA33Y/s1600/_DSC3950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9Z-gPPwQRc-jnkzV1lPL-hGFGCbQ_bugt1HcyCtpf2ETnMCX2gbNY2_7lgEUoteVIi3H9ucbDvbw3HqC_mACKGA_G2BBzFsH3X52ApRppS8qEOKxvbh44HvWg7X05l0NX4hP7NwA33Y/s1600/_DSC3950.jpg"></a></div>
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Some pond animals might not look attractive at first glance. The majority of
people who encounter a bryozoa colony most likely wouldn't recognize what it
is. A hairy warm? A weird hydrozoa? After all, even the mention of words
"bryozoa"and "moss animals" alone provokes only one
question<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span>"what the heck is that?" The truth is, molecular
taxonomists have more or less the same question when approaching this group.<br>
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Bryozoa are among the least studied invertebrates. According to phylogeny
analysis they are not relatives of cnidaria or, in fact, any known group of
invertebrates. Some evidence suggests that they might be related to even less
studied group of organisms<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">—</span>Entoprocta. But leaving phylogenetic
and taxonomic speculations aside, bryozoa are colonial filter-feeding animals
that are really abundant in freshwater and marine habitats. Their polyps are
tiny and almost invisible to the naked eyes. Yet their colonies can reach up to
several meters is size, although such giants are rare.<br>
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<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2012/04/mysterious-bryozoa.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-67328399638779053022012-04-14T13:13:00.000-07:002015-08-05T22:43:00.504-07:00Hydra dance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgp1yPoCtVY7ods_2iJLNeyr_geRxCEJewnLNUHUyd4YQkaDtr0MaTpLUkUkTxcwFeV-ALm-phUoaILF8DuaX-gaHAMmppMYsrJa9cdIYgRmW5BKkLkP-nMS-b0mhZQyMnq3vHmMdkJk/s1600/_DSC3415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgp1yPoCtVY7ods_2iJLNeyr_geRxCEJewnLNUHUyd4YQkaDtr0MaTpLUkUkTxcwFeV-ALm-phUoaILF8DuaX-gaHAMmppMYsrJa9cdIYgRmW5BKkLkP-nMS-b0mhZQyMnq3vHmMdkJk/s1600/_DSC3415.jpg"></a></div>
<br>
Hydras are awesome dancers. They are very flexible and I could never get tired of taking pictures of all bizarre shapes and forms they take.<br>
<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2012/04/hydra-dance.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-22600249374471982162012-04-01T14:23:00.000-07:002015-08-05T22:46:36.920-07:00Microscopic Zerg invasion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHap2GLlz1WgbW6z2TFeOuFAMgN4B8W2UdkXfJiHuyyAy3M9zuVsur8dZ_sP-WkCo-baLy6IsGqelS8j91FsYJ6IKvy9us7hEVz6_vbx_MTI011l-KUZhhY-DfFgm9DXwei78eowm8msE/s1600/ZergEyeFlea2smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHap2GLlz1WgbW6z2TFeOuFAMgN4B8W2UdkXfJiHuyyAy3M9zuVsur8dZ_sP-WkCo-baLy6IsGqelS8j91FsYJ6IKvy9us7hEVz6_vbx_MTI011l-KUZhhY-DfFgm9DXwei78eowm8msE/s1600/ZergEyeFlea2smaller.jpg"></a></div>
<br>
This guy with an alien-like eye is a <i>Moina</i> sp., possible M. <i>micrura,</i> and I appreciate the help of photomacrography.com community in ID help. It has the weirdest eye I've ever seen and it reminds me of Starcraft and Zergs. Though I doubt the designers of this game ever seen pictures of water fleas or their eyes.<br>
<br>
The pictures are taken in polarized light and I made it a long time ago (it's a stack of 12), though I thought it was ugly and not worth displaying. The flea has a winter egg developing inside.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2012/04/microscopic-zerg-invasion.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-28663984514931580022012-03-11T09:01:00.000-07:002015-08-05T22:53:39.608-07:00Big microscopes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmc2qdBEIMlVILSreIfhCuiF16krB6vEpxE9mNk1mWFgWzZwq5eXH7fmvvdZwyeqDOvPEEOPWR2ZvtN_2g9ZRD9jZWyvtITIAWoOTcMzf5pOWdNCwaEjiBjPMq6RlkdnO2qSAAM6WWnPQ/s1600/_DSC4234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmc2qdBEIMlVILSreIfhCuiF16krB6vEpxE9mNk1mWFgWzZwq5eXH7fmvvdZwyeqDOvPEEOPWR2ZvtN_2g9ZRD9jZWyvtITIAWoOTcMzf5pOWdNCwaEjiBjPMq6RlkdnO2qSAAM6WWnPQ/s1600/_DSC4234.jpg"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SEM</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I was posting microscopy pictures I mostly used very basic light microscopes to get my images. Though the scopes I worked with are expensive, science today has bigger scales and modern microscopes can look very impressive even when you simply gaze at them.<br>
<br>
Few months ago I happened to visit a nanotechnology laboratory in Brazil and decided to show some cool gear in this post.<br>
<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2012/03/big-microscopes.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-46760636433870854132012-01-23T21:08:00.000-08:002015-08-05T23:02:42.803-07:00PETAR national park and caves in Brazil<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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PETAR national park is situated close to Sao Paulo in Brazil. I happened to visit it when I participated in an astrobiology school in December 2011. I might not be able to impress anyone with photography skills, but I really want to share this 3 day long experience of visiting such a fantastic place in Brazilian mountains full of waterfalls and caves. <br>
<br>
<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2012/01/petar-national-park-and-caves-in-brazil.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-32833557748006619772011-07-22T04:55:00.000-07:002015-08-05T23:17:06.078-07:00Viable Ancient Choanoflagellates from Siberian Permafrost<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_igNjgtv7ifo8r6fUt5tA2ZeY1SnLcgYGTg66a6C3pIEpFSpSyp5Z5Du9Kztbqnmm1n3ZHY2gc_gnpvx6o4mRDOfSxO9hLESQMy_5s2FOZwguVusEVvfk5NodQiUH7RAk7VNftcfICmQ/s1600/5702384345_ff84fb892b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_igNjgtv7ifo8r6fUt5tA2ZeY1SnLcgYGTg66a6C3pIEpFSpSyp5Z5Du9Kztbqnmm1n3ZHY2gc_gnpvx6o4mRDOfSxO9hLESQMy_5s2FOZwguVusEVvfk5NodQiUH7RAk7VNftcfICmQ/s1600/5702384345_ff84fb892b.jpg"></a></div>
<br>
Choanoflagellates are the closest unicellular relatives of the animals (Metazoa). <br>
<br>
They seem like very simple organisms. They have a flagellum and a collar, similarly to sponge choanocytes. They use these structures to capture bacteria. Some species have other external structures, such as basket-looking loricas and thecas.<br>
<br>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Read more about choanoflagellates <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choanoflagellate">here</a> and <a href="http://www.choano.org/">here</a>.</span><br>
<br>
Choanoflagellates are very common in freshwater and marine environments and they look very gentle and fragile. Yet they managed to survive for around 28-50 thousand years in one of the most extreme environments on Earth. Part of my research was about studying these amazing protists that we found in the Siberian permafrost.<br>
<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2011/07/viable-ancient-choanoflagellates-from.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-40117715195071737472011-05-15T11:09:00.000-07:002015-08-05T23:26:16.833-07:00Reefs and coral diseases<div style="text-align: center;">
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</div>
<br>
When I joined a marine conservation programme I was dreaming of beautiful underwater worlds. I was thinking about taking some colorful pictures and getting indelible impressions. But little did I know about all those reef issues such as coral bleaching and pollution.<br>
Underwater surveying in random sites around Tobago and going to places that normal divers would avoid made me realize that modern coral reefs are not what they used to be in the Cousteau TV series.<br>
<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2011/05/reefs-and-coral-diseases.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-42544557574466850162011-05-07T12:26:00.000-07:002015-08-05T23:29:07.380-07:00Caribbean sponges - Tobago<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/st4rshade/5693553609/" title="Half of a barrel sponge by St4rshade, on Flickr"><img alt="Half of a barrel sponge" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5264/5693553609_fa03d59f54_z.jpg" height="540" width="720"></a></div>
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Tobago has an interesting underwater world. Surprisingly sponges attracted my attention. They have a weird and an ambiguous classification (the one that we were given at the expedition) but they are colourful and more abundant than anything else. Guess mostly because corals are in a terrible condition.<br>
<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2011/05/caribbean-sponges-tobago.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-10959656354809488982011-05-05T13:13:00.000-07:002015-08-05T23:56:49.910-07:00Tobago marine expedition<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTulOEOnLlB699Bls-WS2WnMS9Ow0HCNdpPHXcgAU9SS0rmW5smG6oOsRCV6diLK_Z__-tkJr4K1Xo8qIO98D0M2-5yQU6K8rw51I-K8rqfcAlR3WhUaiH6bQQmWRR3cpT3wG7Ahw5yjM/s1600/5690344522_2db13d1193_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTulOEOnLlB699Bls-WS2WnMS9Ow0HCNdpPHXcgAU9SS0rmW5smG6oOsRCV6diLK_Z__-tkJr4K1Xo8qIO98D0M2-5yQU6K8rw51I-K8rqfcAlR3WhUaiH6bQQmWRR3cpT3wG7Ahw5yjM/s1600/5690344522_2db13d1193_b.jpg"></a></div>
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<tr> <td><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/st4rshade/5690346886/" title="Jumping from the boat, on Flickr"><img alt="Jumping from the boat" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5181/5690346886_3b5423fff5_t.jpg" height="75" width="100"></a></td> <td><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/st4rshade/5690346646/" title="Fish, on Flickr"><img alt="Fish" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5106/5690346646_6e95ff9ba2_t.jpg" height="75" width="100"></a></td> <td><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/st4rshade/5690340772/" title="Loading the boat, on Flickr"><img alt="Loading the boat" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5188/5690340772_cb90c6fe0b_t.jpg" height="75" width="100"></a></td> <td><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/st4rshade/5689769759/" title="Charlotteville, on Flickr"><img alt="Charlotteville" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5184/5689769759_f7ae0d24e4_t.jpg" height="75" width="100"></a></td> <td><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/st4rshade/5690345214/" title="Falls, on Flickr"><img alt="Falls" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5067/5690345214_4a38b438de_t.jpg" height="75" width="100"></a></td> <td><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/st4rshade/5689855635/" title="Wave, on Flickr"><img alt="Wave" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5187/5689855635_852df8a920_t.jpg" height="75" width="100"></a></td> </tr>
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From September 2010 till February 2011 I participated in a Coral Cay Conservation marine expedition on Tobago. Tobago is a tiny island in the Caribbean sea. I was a marine biology volunteer and I'll try to describe this amazing experience that involved diving, underwater surveying, and living on a remote part of a tropical island...<br>
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<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2011/05/tobago-marine-expedition.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3574232139592049092.post-6755092613465068602011-05-03T09:33:00.000-07:002015-08-06T00:08:35.802-07:00White Sea Biological Station<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUfM0bAoaplUzImUL6YuBQ8NOlfvSRxO1K-1WgoBBBb5dL0j4Kjix6CoLd3HYuvCPGY_clLQKIxRkiIZQ0dNufkDhTa-WDrRovK5EVPLIKSQzOF8YAHlYI6VDQrTcGwHYurM7YU0vTl0/s1600/5680709228_288ba3c6cc_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUfM0bAoaplUzImUL6YuBQ8NOlfvSRxO1K-1WgoBBBb5dL0j4Kjix6CoLd3HYuvCPGY_clLQKIxRkiIZQ0dNufkDhTa-WDrRovK5EVPLIKSQzOF8YAHlYI6VDQrTcGwHYurM7YU0vTl0/s1600/5680709228_288ba3c6cc_b.jpg"></a></div>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/st4rshade/5680709228/" title="Mirror at 3 a.m., on Flickr"><br>
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The White Sea Biological Station is a fantastic place that is part of Moscow State University and it's located beyond the polar circle on the coast of the White Sea (North of Russia). It's a scientific village in the middle of the forest that has no road connections. Nearest cities are far far away from it and all biology students during their study have to come here to have practice in marine biology and botany. I had never even imagined that northern landscapes are so amazing and breathtaking with lichens growing instead of grass, never-endless "sunsets" and "sunrises" where the sun never goes below the horizon, and more mosquitoes than air...<br>
<a href="http://notes-from-dreamworlds.blogspot.com/2011/05/white-sea-biological-station.html#more">See more >></a>Starshadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01063602727824225343noreply@blogger.com0