The 12 Plankton of Christmas

Brittle star larvae "snowflakes"
Larval brittle star "snowflakes." Photo: Dr. Richard Kirby

I am spending the holiday break sorting zooplankton in the lab, so this assortment of Christmas-themed plankton seems especially joyous. (I don’t celebrate Christmas, but I do celebrate beautiful photos of plankton!) From Environmental Graffiti:

Dr. Richard Kirby, a Royal Society Research Fellow at Plymouth University was going through his images of plankton with a festive eye in mind and discovered there were quite a few that fit with the season. In fact he ultimately came up with the “12 Plankton of Christmas.”

My favorites are the larval brittle star “snowflakes” above, but you can check them all out here. Dr. Kirby’s photos are collected in this gorgeous-looking book, in case you are looking for a present for your favorite plankton lover.

Thanks to Sea Notes for the link!

One Reply to “The 12 Plankton of Christmas”

  1. Miriam-

    I hope you have at least some fun time this holiday. not that sorting isn’t bunches of fun ;) p.s. the larvae are beyond adorable.

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