these are so cute look at them lil christmas trees

ecosapienshow:

Polychaete worms have a staggering level of diversity, with an estimated 25,000 species world-wide. The christmas tree worm pictured above is one such slightly strange looking polychaete. But unfortunately for these fascinating animals, the release of silver nanoparticles from a multitude of industrial processes threatens their future. In fact, a study published only last year showed that mortality in the early life stages is significantly increased through exposure to silver nanoparticles in the water column.

Photo by Nick Hobgood (CC)

See: May Carr, C., (2012), Polychaete diversity and distribution patterns in Canadianmarine waters, Mar. Biodiv., 42: 93–107.

Also See: Garcier-Alonso, J., (2014) Toxicity and accumulation of silver nanoparticles during development of the marine polychaete Platynereis dumerilii, Science of the Total Environment, 688-695.

“We’re all Homo sapiens — thinking men and women — but in a world that faces an uncertain future of habitat destruction, climate change, and ecological catastrophe, perhaps it’s time we became Eco sapiens.“

www.ecosapien.org