Plankton

Ctenophores move using 8 iridescent rows of comb plates. This juvenile specimen was collected in the Mediterranean Sea. Christian Sardet, 'Plankton – Wonders of the Drifting World', Univ. Chicago Press 2015

The Tara was originally the Seamaster, The same yacht Sir Peter Blake was sailing when he was killed by Brazilian pirates in 2001. Photo: F. Latreille/Tara Expeditions.

Courtesy Tara Expeditions

This Liriope medusa caught and ate a large part of a juvenile fish. Christian Sardet, 'Plankton – Wonders of the Drifting World', Univ. Chicago Press 2015

This small medusa collected in the Mediterranean Sea is a close relative of Turritopsis thought to be an immortal jellyfish. Christian Sardet, 'Plankton – Wonders of the Drifting World', Univ. Chicago Press 2015

Plankton collected in the Pacific Ocean with a 0.1 mm mesh net. This is a mixture of multicellular organisms – small zooplanktonic animals, larvae and single cell protists (diatoms, dinoflagellates, radiolarians). Christian Sardet, 'Plankton – Wonders of the Drifting World', Univ. Chicago Press 2015

Plankton collected in winter in the Mediterranean Sea with a 0.2mm mesh net. This is a mixture of zooplanktonic animals and larvae, together with single cell protists. Christian Sardet, 'Plankton – Wonders of the Drifting World', Univ. Chicago Press 2015

Plankton collected in the Pacific Ocean with a 0.1 mm mesh net. This is a mixture of multicellular organisms – small zooplanktonic animals, larvae and single cell protists (diatoms, dinoflagellates, radiolarians). Christian Sardet, 'Plankton – Wonders of the Drifting World', Univ. Chicago Press 2015

Plankton collected in the Pacific Ocean with a 0.1 mm mesh net. Here we see a mixture of single cell protists – diatoms, dinoflagellates, and foraminiferans – surrrounding a colony of radiolarians in the center. Christian Sardet, 'Plankton – Wonders of the Drifting World', Univ. Chicago Press 2015

Plankton collected in the Atlantic Ocean with a 0.1 mm mesh net. This is a mixture of single cell protists – diatoms, dinoflagellates, radiolarians and foraminiferans. Christian Sardet, 'Plankton – Wonders of the Drifting World', Univ. Chicago Press 2015

The Tara Oceans expedition collected these small zooplanktonic animals in the Indian Ocean: a molluscan pteropod on the right, and 2 crustacean copepods. On the left is a fragment of orange paint from Tara’s hull. Christian Sardet, CNRS, 'Tara Oceans'.

Three different pteropod molluscs. The two in the back have fragile calcareous shells. They are natural prey for the third species (in front) which does not have a shell. Christian Sardet, 'Plankton – Wonders of the Drifting World', Univ. Chicago Press 2015

Common zooplanktonic creatures are displayed together here. From left to right: a tiny crustacean copepod, a spider crab larva, an amphipod, a baby squid, a Phronima amphipod, and an Atlanta pteropod mollusc. Christian Sardet, 'Plankton – Wonders of the Drifting World', Univ. Chicago Press 2015

Radiolarians are protists – unicellular creatures - that often live in symbiosis with algae, visible here as tiny ocre-colored dots. On the top left is a colonial radiolarian. Christian Sardet, 'Plankton – Wonders of the Drifting World', Univ. Chicago Press 2015