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These free-living marine nematodes from the Gulf of Mexico were preserved and stained for taxonomic analysis. A team of researchers from the University of California, Davis, collected samples here to study the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on microbial eukaryote species. Microbial eukaryote species, which are largely invisible to the naked eye, include groups such as nematode worms, protists and fungi.
These microscopic species are often overlooked during environmental disasters, but they play important ecological roles. They represent the base of the food chain in marine ecosystems, and are additionally responsible for recycling nutrients, such as carbon, in the environment.Image credit: Dr. Holly Bik, University of California, Davis
