"Sea Soup I " Phytoplankton  December 1999

"Sea Soup II " Zooplankton March 2001

 

   

I have spent most of my career photographing elusive, heretofore unseen subjects mostly underwater, mostly whales, seals, dolphins, sharks and shipwrecks, mostly for National Geographic Magazine. Phytoplankton is a subject few professional photographers have ever tackled, which was an instant attraction for me. Diving into a drop of seawater with a camera through the optics of a Zeiss photo microscope has been challenging and rewarding, just as rewarding as the actual dives I have made with whales, dolphins and other marine subjects.

In this first volume of Sea Soup, I have attempted to photograph phytoplankton in a style that viewers would find interesting and compelling. The hope is that the reader would be drawn visually into the subject and want to learn more about the creatures that help provide so many benefits to the good health of our watery planet. Through my research for Sea Soup and Mary Cerullo's illuminating manuscript, I have learned a lot about phytoplankton. I know readers young and old will too. They are interesting and beautiful creatures and much of life on earth depends on their existence, including us.

This book started out with a challange from Robert Andersen, Director of the Provasoli-Guillard Center for Culture of Marine Phytoplankton at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. The Center houses the largest collection of living phytoplankton cultures from marine and freshwater systems around the world. His lifelong passion and scientific interests have centered around algae. Bob felt that the "popular press" never writes about or photographs a subject like phytoplankton. " Why are algae overlooked? Why did a recent UN Convention on Biol-Diversity fail to fully appreciate the fundamental importance of microorganisms like algae to the maintenance and functioning of global ecosystems? A naturalist who could name every tree and mammal would probably be stumped by the commonest pond alga." He was right. Phytoplankton are not warm and fuzzy like panda bears. They lack the color and appeal of birds, flowers, and insects. They are invisible, underwater, and for the most part inconspicuous, yet critical to life on the planet. After reading and viewing Sea Soup you will know why author Mary Cerullo asks, "Have You Thanked A Phytoplankter Today?"