Plankton: An unseen universe
By Jan van IJken, videographer for Planet Earth III, Oceans
they only become visible under the microscope
Ever since I saw plankton up-close for the first time, I have been amazed by the incredible diversity, the crazy shapes, fine details and the sheer beauty of these minute critters. They often look like aliens from outer space. A single drop of seawater can contain thousands of these organisms, sometimes they are so numerous they change the colour of the sea and can even be observed from space - but nobody notices them because individually they only become visible under the microscope.
you can observe their inner body parts
To film the plankton sequence for Planet Earth III, first I collect water samples from the sea. Back at home, I am able to examine every drop of water, and pipette individual organisms on to a microscope to film. Most of them are transparent, so you can observe their inner body parts functioning and it is important to keep them alive and happy – this means keeping them as cool as possible. Once I have filmed the organisms, the shots are processed and put together to create the stunning sequence that shows these minute, living organisms like never before.
an unseen universe, just around the corner
Plankton are not only beautiful, but also vital for all life on Planet Earth. Phytoplankton (minute plant-like organisms) produce half of the oxygen on earth by photosynthesis, like plants and trees on land do. Zooplankton (very tiny animals) form the basis of the food chain in the water. The plankton are threatened by global warming and acidification of the oceans. With my work, I hope to give people a glimpse in an unseen universe, just around the corner.
