15. The Inside Passage of Alaska

In August 2007, I visited the Inside Passage of Alaska. Spending our time on a classic 85 foot wooden boat, we travelled the 375 miles from Ketchikan to Juneau. We were also fortunate to have good weather, warm and sunny, although we did see a little rain mixed in as well. Our interests were to see native totems, wildlife and landscape



The old part of Ketchikan is located alongside a creek, that was swollen with salmon when we were there.



The totems we saw, I believe were mostly Tlingit, but I might be wrong. Could also be Haida or Tshiensien.










When whales are cooperatively feeding, they submerge and create a large "bubble ring" which entraps the herring that they are after. The whales then swim rapidly within the ring to the surface with their mouths wide open.













We also visited the Annan Creek bear observation area and spent several hours observing black bear catching and eating pink salmon. We were able to be quite close to these bears as they gorged themselves on salmon. An occasional fight would break out, but was usually short lived. We were treated with the visit of a "mama" bear and two cubs and enjoyed their antics.











Our next stop was Wrangell Island and the town of Wrangell. No longer a stop for the cruise ships, the town is typical of many other "working" villages, primarily fishing. One interesting feature of the town was the "Petroglyph" beach where a dozen or more ancient petroglyhs can be viewed up close and personal. Wrangel is also known for almandine garnets embedded in a schist outcropping not far from the town.

















Whales, that is what we really came here for. The opportunity to see Orca, the killer whale, as well as humpack whales was top on our list, and we were not disappointed. I was however, unable to get a good picture of the Orca, but was successful with the humpback.






























We also came across some rocky islands that were the home of sea lions. They were quite noisy, and we could see the large males protecting their harems on the beach. Finally, we were awestruck by the incredible landscape. Rugged, snow capped mountains, volcanic plugs still evident. And the glaciers, magnificent with the blue ice. We visited Tracy Arm and saw two separate glaciers there.

14. Plankton

Plankton are small, often microscopic, buoyant floating organisms found in fresh and salt water. While not all plankton are photosynthetic, planktonic life is centered on photosynthetic microorganisms that are both dependant upon, and limited by solar radiation, light. What has always fascinated me, in my career as a microbiologist and oceanographer, is the incredible variation in structure vs. function that one finds when one examines plankton. The following are some of the plankton that I have photographed that illustrate their beauty and complexity.

These are diatoms! They are literally glass houses as they are made up of silica (or glass) with a little pectin. Imagine what it would be like to live in a glass house!



















































































These are coccolithophorids; the cells have an outer layer of plates, or coccoliths, made of calcium carbonate. The shape of the coccolith can vary dramatically as the micrographs to follow illustrate. Most coccolithophorids are smaller than 10 microns. Coccolithophorids are found only in the oceans. There are 200 or more species of coccolithophorids and they are second only to diatoms in population.
































































Other plankton include small animals called Radiolaria and Acantharia. Radiolaria are amoeba that have silica spicules which are readily seen when cells are examined in the electron microscope. Acantharia, more amoeba-like organisms, also have spicules, but these are made of strontium sulfate and dissolve rapidly once the animal dies leaving no trace. Thus, they are difficult to identify. Other plankton include the Foraminifera. These are also amoeba but have shells and can be large enough to be seen without a microscope. Most are marine, but there are a few freshwater species as well. Finally, plankton also include bacteria, and a variety of protozoa including paramecium and ciliates of one sort or another. The following micrographs are not identified but do represent the variety of plankton that are found in the environment.


















































































In the oceans, as well as in large lakes and rivers around the world, the plankton act as the water equivalent of forests. Together with the forests, they are the lungs of our planet. They take up the carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels and the respiratory release from all forms of animals, and convert it into oxygen and water. Without their activity the planet is doomed.

To me personally, what is most amazing is the incredible diversity of structure. Look at diatoms. They all perform the same function in life... photosynthesis. Why are there so many different forms of diatoms, so many structural variations? I have always been intriqued with the issue of structure and function.

13c. Bacteria and other microorganisms - The photosynthetic bacteria

The Photosynthetic bacteria, like the nitrifying bacteria are a very diverse group of bacteria. There are the purple sulfur, purple non-sulfur and the green photosynthetic bacteria. They occupy different environmental niches and show great structural differences.
At left is a light microscope image of photosynthetic bacteria. Each cell in this micrograph (some cells are dividing) are about 1-2 microns in length








Another light micrograph shows Chromatium sp., a purple sulfur bacterium. The blue granules you see in the cells are sulfur granules that accumulate.







This is an electron micrograph (ultrathin section) of Chromatium buderii. The cell is in the process of dividing. It is full of chromatophores (small spherical structures) which house the enzymes involved in photosynthesis. Unlike green plants, these bacteria split hydrogen sulfide (H2S) instead of water (H2O) to generate their reducing power (H+) needed to carry out photosynthesis.












This ultrathin section of Chromatium buderii shows more detail of the chromatophores which are produced bu invagination of the cytoplasmic membrane. The large "white" round structures are empty sulfur granules. Empty because the process used to produce the ultrathin section dissolves away all of the sulfur in the granule.












This is another photosynthetic bacterium, Thiocystis sp. These cells forms aggregates of 8 or more cells as illustrated in this freeze-etching. They also are encased in a fibrous, slimy material that can be seen in the background.














Another freeze-etching of Thiocystis sp. showing some of the internal features of the cell. Sulfur granules can be seen as well as many smaller chromatophores packed tightly in the cytoplasm. An occasional PHB (po;y-bety hydroxy butyate) granule can also be seen. The freeze-etching strtches the polymer.










This is an ultrathin section of Ectothiorhodospira mobilis, a photosynthetic spirillum with large thylakoids (bundles) of photosynthetic membranes or lamellar stacks.

















This ultrathin section shows the tubular membranes of Thiopedia pfennigii. Again, an occasional sulfur granule (empty hole) can be seen. Like the nitrifying bacteria, the extensions of the cell membrane are differentiated into sites for photosynthetic enzymes and increased membrane surface area.









This ultrathin section is of Prosthecobacterium sp., and is another type of photosynthetic bacterium. In this case, the photosynthetic apparatus is in the oval vesicles located adjacent to the cytoplasmic membranes

There are many other types of photosynthetic bacteria, some with different variations on the theme of membranes involved, and in the habitats that they occupy. What has always puzzled me are the numerous forms of bacteria that carry out the same function, yet differ dramatically in structure. Why is that?