Beneath the vast ocean waves lies an "invisible kingdom" crucial to marine life – the world of plankton. Often unseen yet fundamental, these diverse organisms form the bedrock of the ocean food chain, regulate the Earth's climate and can signal ecological imbalances.

Using the Imaging Plankton Probe (IPP) system developed by the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, scientists can now capture these tiny life forms in their natural habitat with unprecedented clarity.

The IPP identifies species, measures size and counts populations in real-time. This cutting-edge tool, which combines crystal-clear in-situ imaging with artificial intelligence (AI)-powered automatic recognition, is unlocking microscopic ocean secrets that were previously beyond the reach of traditional methods.

Join us as we dive into these mysterious waters through the lens of the IPP and meet the plankton "warriors" – seemingly Insignificant yet astonishingly powerful, even capable of influencing fisheries and nuclear power plant safety.

Copepods photographed by the IPP. /SIAT

Copepods

Plankton from SpongeBob – that tiny villain trying to steal the Krabby Patty secret. He's based on a real ocean creature – copepods, a type of plankton! While resembling cockroaches in shape, they often display dazzling colors – far more beautiful. As the dominant family of zooplankton in both abundance and diversity, they serve as vital prey for fish. Without them, many delicious seafood dishes wouldn't exist.

Noctiluca scintillans photographed by the IPP. /SIAT

Noctiluca scintillans

Ever chased "blue tears?" These starry-night-like blue glows along coastlines are created by bioluminescent organisms. Noctiluca scintillans is a common "blue tear" species that emits ethereal blue fluorescence when disturbed. When aggregated into red tides, they degrade water quality, deplete oxygen and voraciously consume phytoplankton – a true "beautiful killer."

Echinopluteus larva photographed by the IPP. /SIAT

Echinopluteus larva

While sea urchins are prized seafood, have you seen their larval form? These "floating specks" act as living GPS in ocean currents. The patterns on their calcified skeletal plates precisely indicate warm current directions, making them invaluable ecological markers for tracking marine circulation shifts.

Dolioletta gegenbauri photographed by the IPP. /SIAT

Dolioletta gegenbauri

Nature's carbon-capturing jelly candy! Our IPP caught this translucent vacuum cleaner devouring phytoplankton at record speed, locking away climate-changing carbon through its sinking "fecal snow," positioning them as climate change warriors.

Casinodiscus photographed by the IPP. /SIAT

Casinodiscus

Imaged by our IPP, encased in glass-like silica shells, their intricate structures refract sunlight like kaleidoscopes and enable efficient photosynthesis in murky waters. During spring and summer blooms, they drive more than 50 percent of coastal primary productivity – the ocean's essential "breadbasket."

Hemidiscus photographed by the IPP. /SIAT

Hemidiscus

The IPP revealed how this watermelon-patterned diatom uses spiral ridges on its hemispherical shell to create "Bragg diffraction," boosting light capture at dawn. This adaptation allows efficient photosynthesis even in low morning light.

Phaeocystis globosa photographed by the IPP. /SIAT

Phaeocystis globosa

These brown "popping pearls" form centimeter-scale gelatinous globules from microscopic cells. Thriving in nutrient-rich waters, blooms suffocate marine life, release toxins that turn seawater into "poison soup," and clog nuclear plant intakes.

Jellyfish photographed by the IPP. /SIAT

Jellyfish

IPP snapped nature's see-through ninjas! No brain, no heart, but pack toxic stings. When they party hard? They clog power plants and turn fish nurseries into ghost towns.

Creseis acicula photographed by the IPP. /SIAT

Creseis acicula

Oceanic "glass pens" that serve as temperature probes. These transparent drifters explosively reproduce in the waters between 29 to 32 degrees Celsius – a range amplified by nuclear plant discharges. Blooms invade fish habitats and block cooling systems.

Trichodesmium photographed by the IPP. /SIAT

Trichodesmium

Key players in red tides, these rust-colored colonies resemble bundled straw or badminton shuttlecocks. Their nitrogen-fixing ability sustains productivity in nutrient-poor seas.

Radiolarians photographed by the IPP. /SIAT

Radiolarians

Microbes with intricate glass-like silica skeletons. Their radiating pseudopods capture prey, while skeletal remains alter seafloor composition. Scientists decode ancient oceans from these microfossil time capsules!

Acetes photographed by the IPP. /SIAT

Acetes

Translucent "dried shrimp" in your soup were once lively plankton. Suspended by feathered bristles, they sustain fish stocks. But blooms clog water filtration systems, impacting fisheries and nuclear plant safety. (CGTN)