Here in the Southern Ocean, we are surrounded by ice and abundant ‘charismatic megafauna’ including seals, whales, and penguins. We think phytoplankton are pretty darn charismatic too given their capacity to fuel this diverse and flourishing Antarctic marine ecosystem. Fortunately, we have an instrument on board that allows us to image the diverse and stunningly beautiful microbial world quickly, efficiently, and on a centrally-located monitor that invites others to watch and liberates us from the constraints of a microscope: the FlowCam. The FlowCam is a hybrid design between a microscope and a flow cytometer; it captures images and data on the size, shape, and characteristics of microscopic particles in the seawater we collect. The FlowCam’s main components are a flow cell, a laser, and an objective that can capture images and send them, in real time, to a computer monitor. Our seawater flows through the flow cell and passes by a laser that detects the presence of chlorophyll a, the pigment in phytoplankton responsible for photosynthesis. Once triggered by chlorophyll a, the FlowCam snaps an image of each single cell, and sends the images to a live-streaming image library. Using the FlowCam, we can quickly and efficiently collect data on the composition of phytoplankton species in the water column. It also makes accessible these charismatic microorganisms, to the delight of all aboard! Posted by: Kerry Whittaker

Top Photo: The FlowCam shocks and delights all aboard the N.B. Palmer with live-streamed photos of charismatic microorganisms!

Bottom Photo: An example of the image library compiled by FlowCam using real-time microscopic imaging.