Weekly Photo Highlight: Microscopic Chaos of March Madness
The Scripps Plankton Camera System (SPCS), an advanced microscopy platform developed to study the distribution of plankton and particulate organic matter in the ocean, has captured images of a recent plankton bloom that occurred this week.
The SPCS, a system used for capturing images of plankton blooms, is mounted underwater at the end of Scripps Pier. It employs a shadowgraph imaging approach, which requires a specific image processing protocol that includes calibration with neutral density filters, preprocessing, quality enhancement algorithms, and removal of image artifacts such as schlieren through machine learning techniques. This processing pipeline supports large batch analyses using high-performance computing resources, enabling detailed and scalable study of particle distributions in marine environments.
Current challenges in the development and application of the SPCS include artifact removal and image quality control, sensitivity tuning in particle reconstruction, integration and comparison with other optical plankton imaging systems, computational demands, and ecosystem context linking. Addressing these challenges is crucial for translating image data into ecological insights about plankton blooms and their environmental drivers.
The latest version of the SPC, a prototype automated microscope, was funded by an anonymous donation. It photographs tiny ocean organisms as they float through its target area, creating a continuous record of the type and number of plankton in the area. The images of individual plankton were captured during the recent bloom, revealing a variety of species, including many chain-forming diatoms.
Research Oceanographer Jules Jaffe observed the bloom and shared the images this week. The SPC website provides details about the development of the system and the challenges of keeping fish and other obstacles out of the field of view. The images from the recent bloom can be found in the Photo of the Week 2016 gallery, showcasing the beauty and importance of plankton, a key element of the marine ecosystem.
The SPC is a valuable tool for researchers trying to improve their understanding of plankton blooms. It has been used to capture images of multiple plankton blooms, providing crucial data for marine ecology studies. As the SPCS continues to evolve and overcome challenges, it will undoubtedly contribute significantly to our understanding of the complex marine ecosystem.
The Scripps Plankton Camera System (SPCS), a sophisticated instrument employed for environmental-science studies focusing on marine environments, is currently utilizing machine learning techniques to remove image artifacts such as schlieren, aiming to enhance image quality and control artifact removal.
The continuous records of tiny ocean organisms captured by the SPC, a cutting-edge automated microscope, have revealed diverse species during plankton blooms, with the latest version funded by an anonymous donation.
