Under the Microscope: Cylindrospermum

by Shannon Conley

24” by 24”

I've always loved the romantic idea of cyanobacteria, photosynthesizing away in the far distant past to oxygenate an atmosphere too rich in carbon dioxide for most life to survive. These cylindrospermum are a kind of cyanobacteria most often found in slimy mats coating vegetation in shallow waters, probably most often prompting an "eww gross" from onlookers.