{"id":1153,"date":"2026-01-12T17:57:56","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T17:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/?p=1153"},"modified":"2026-01-12T17:57:57","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T17:57:57","slug":"micromonday-star-dust-and-such","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/?p=1153","title":{"rendered":"#MicroMonday: Star Dust and Such"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a0942b556518&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a0942b556518\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-01-12-Kelp-Gametophyte-Square-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1154\" style=\"width:1320px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-01-12-Kelp-Gametophyte-Square-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-01-12-Kelp-Gametophyte-Square-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-01-12-Kelp-Gametophyte-Square-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-01-12-Kelp-Gametophyte-Square-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-01-12-Kelp-Gametophyte-Square-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-01-12-Kelp-Gametophyte-Square-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2026-01-12-Kelp-Gametophyte-Square.jpg 1404w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At a quick glance, you might think this photo shows a distant nebula snapped through a powerful telescope trained on the night sky.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it is #MicroMonday after all, and this photo actually captures a much tinier\u00a0moment that unfolded right here in East Boothbay, Maine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bigelow Laboratory\u2019s National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota<\/strong> houses 1,000 strains of kelp \u2014 of different species, life stages, and origins \u2014 including this gametophyte of <em>Saccharina latissima<\/em>, or sugar kelp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our scientists are working with partners across New England to unlock the possibilities of kelp and other forms of algae to develop innovative solutions and commercial products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow Bigelow Laboratory for updates on our work supporting Maine\u2019s blue economy, plus inspiring snaps like this one!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udcf8: Kerry Dykens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At a quick glance, you might think this photo shows a distant nebula snapped through a powerful telescope trained on the night sky.&nbsp; But it is #MicroMonday after all, and this photo actually captures a much tinier\u00a0moment that unfolded right here in East Boothbay, Maine. Bigelow Laboratory\u2019s National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota houses [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1154,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","css_class_manager_body_classes":"","css_class_manager_use_in_post_loop":false},"categories":[13],"tags":[71,18,34,95],"class_list":["post-1153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-oceans-potential","tag-blue-economy","tag-maine","tag-microscopy","tag-seaweed"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1153"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1155,"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1153\/revisions\/1155"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}