Oceans fill more than two-thirds of the Earth’s surface. Taking an aerial view, all that can be seen is a vast area of watery surface. However, underneath it lays a yet-to-be fully discovered marine world. Have you ever wondered what really are the creatures and organisms that can be found under the sea?
Yes, it is known that there are gazillions of fishes in the oceans, there are sharks, seahorses, jellyfishes, whales, algae, corals, and seaweeds. These are just some of the common underwater creatures that we know and we learned this from our science teachers in grade school, from reading books and maybe from watching scientific discovery channels.
However, there is actually more to these obviously-visible organisms in the ocean. The oceans are also covered with tons of microorganisms. From the term itself, a microorganism is a very tiny creature that is not visible to the naked eye. These microorganisms can only be seen clearly under the microscope; hence, the scientific technique of ocean microorganism microscopy was born.
Applications of Ocean Microorganism Microscopy
Ocean microorganisms are extremely small creatures that they can only be seen if placed under a microscope. These microorganisms found in the ocean may include bacteria, fungi, and even viruses. Bacteria, for example, multiply very fast that there must already be gazillions of bacteria all over the ocean by now.
However, oceans have its own way of maintaining ecological balance. Marine ecosystem is a healthy one that no creature is excessive relative to others. Years before, scientists are having difficulty identifying what keeps the underwater ecosystem balanced given that the bacteria are reproducing so rapidly.
It is known that there are organisms underwater known as protists, which consume bacteria and keep bacteria growth in check. But scientists still find certain gaps in the data which does not explain certain percentage of bacteria being missing. Upon close examination of ocean water sample under a microscope, experts discovered that the ocean floors are also inhabited with certain types of viruses that also consume bacteria.
One technique associated in ocean microorganism microscopy is the use of fluorescent stains to make the bacteria and viruses appear as glowing spots under the microscope. This procedure is known as epifluorescent microscopy. One particular researcher from the University of South Carolina used this procedure in 1990 to find out the mystery of the missing bacteria.
Microscopy played a big role in this study of the said researcher, Jed Fuhrman, since most of his sample observations and findings were done through the use of either a traditional optical microscope or an electron microscope. He took samples of ocean water, filtered them as per his specifications, and observed them under the microscopes.
In 2002, studies in the pollution of Southern Californian beaches were still conducted by the University of South Carolina. This time, with the different technological advances in science, researchers now used mini robots to monitor the amount of water pollution. But even if they are now using robots, the underlying principle of this robotics still came from microscopes.
The university scientists built small robots out of computer-controlled microscopes that would scan the underwater environment. This is a great way to observe what is happening under the surface water in a real time magnified version.
Importance of Field Microscopes
The different kinds of microscopes used in the above studies were all examples of field microscopes. These microscopes come in handy for outside-the-laboratory observations of different specimens. Some samples just cannot be brought inside the lab due to different constraints. For scientists and researchers to be able to examine these samples, they need microscopes that are easy to bring along and are sturdy enough for a rough ride.
Field microscopes are commonly used in outdoor explorations. The main advantage of these types is their portability which allows them to be carried along anywhere. However, this same advantage also shows some compromise. Since a field microscope is portable, it must also be light and compact. This would mean added mirrors or prisms to compensate for the folded path of light.
Also, since field microscopes are built for carry-along purpose, they may cost more than the traditional ones given that they both have same specifications and features. Thus, scientists and researchers would really need to think about these things, and weigh the pros and cons of using a field microscope before actually bringing one along in their exploration.
Field microscopes are vital tools in ocean microorganism microscopy. The right ones will provide experts information needed to combat the long-standing issue of water pollution, not only in the US, but all over the world as well.
For more information, please visit http://www.field-microscope.com/