Now that daylight saving time has ended and the days are growing shorter, you might be searching for some bright, hopeful cheer. Bigelow Laboratory has you covered this #MicroMonday!
Check out these micrographs of Noctiluca, bubble-like unicellular organisms sampled from the waters around Phippsburg, Maine. While their rotund appearance is festive, they are also capable of bioluminescence. The name Noctiluca means “light at night,” an apt descriptor for these little living baubles that flash en masse in response to mechanical stress, such as when boats pass or waves crash.
Tiny life is a big deal, and we’ve got to admit: these little creatures know how to light up a room.
📸: Kat Mead-von Huene.
