How a microscope camera reveals secrets of marine microfossils for climate research

The oceans are the regulating and stabilizing force of our climate system. They occupy approx. 70% of the earth's surface and 95% of the living biosphere. These figures alone reveal how important it is to understand the world's oceans and the enormous importance of polar and marine science for climate research as well as many other scientific disciplines.

Scientists at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) explore the poles, the seas and the climate. We spoke with the marine researcher and micropaleontologist Dr Oliver Esper from the Geoscience Department to get an insight into his work. The research undertaken by this department looks back into the past by decoding data hidden in the ocean to reconstruct the climate history of our planet.

What instruments and tools, such as a microscope camera do you need for your work as marine researcher?

I like to work with highly sophisticated equipment. In our AWI laboratories, we use several different types of microscopes. The JENOPTIK GRYPHAX^® NAOS microscope camera is attached to microscopes to visualize and document siliceous, calcareous, and organic-walled hard parts of microorganisms gained from water samples, modern sea floor sediments, and ancient sediment core material primarily from the polar oceans. For 15 years in my work as a marine researcher, I have successfully used different models of Jenoptik microscope cameras on different microscopes.

Currently, we have chosen the JENOPTIK GRYPHAX^® NAOS microscope camera as the new workhorse for our digital imaging because of its easy handling, high image quality and good price-performance ratio.

What is the procedure in marine research for this type of microscopic analysis?

First of all, the microfossils are removed from surrounding sediments or filtered from sea water, mounted on optical slides and then embedded with adhesive. Single objects or species assemblages are then analyzed, counted and documented at varying magnifications.

Digital images of single microfossils are archived to document specific findings and produce photo plates for scientific publications. The microscope camera JENOPTIK GRYPHAX^® NAOS is therefore attached to different microscopes with specific analytical options, such as phase contrast and polarized light.

Are there any special requirements on the microscopic equipment that is used in marine research regarding the environmental conditions?

Absolutely, microscope workplaces can vary in nature – ranging from a clean, climate-controlled laboratory environment to ships’ laboratories with dusty, wet and salty air on research vessels, such as the RV POLARSTERN and RV SONNE. Over several months at sea in the remote areas of the Arctic and Antarctic oceans, the optical equipment has to meet special requirements.

The microscope camera has to be reliable and easy to operate to allow the immediate analysis of the samples on board. It also has to be robust in a climatically variable environment and must be able to produce good images – even under heavy ship movements and changing temperatures. The camera software has to be compatible with the ship's computer system, and image data needs to be stored easily.

This has been an exciting insight into the work of a marine researcher. Thank you very much Dr Esper.

Would you like to learn more about Jenoptik´s microscope cameras that play a significant role not only in geoscience and marine research but also in many other fields in healthcare & life science? Then do not hesitate to contact us.