Elizabeth Beston
@elizabethbeston.bsky.social
Marine plankton, home educator, biology undergrad, autistic, non binary. Norfolk UK. Runs The Plankton Project
linktr.ee/elizabethbeston
linktr.ee/elizabethbeston
These little orange goobers always cheer me up! The larva of a Serpulidae polychaete (bristle worm).
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
November 24, 2025 at 7:19 AM
These little orange goobers always cheer me up! The larva of a Serpulidae polychaete (bristle worm).
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
This is unbelievably exciting for me! I’ve sampled at dusk before, but this is the first time I’ve found krill (Euphausiacea)!!! I’ve identified this individual as Nyctiphanes couchii, which is a coastal species common in the southern North Sea.
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
November 23, 2025 at 9:49 AM
This is unbelievably exciting for me! I’ve sampled at dusk before, but this is the first time I’ve found krill (Euphausiacea)!!! I’ve identified this individual as Nyctiphanes couchii, which is a coastal species common in the southern North Sea.
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
I love the variety of copepod nauplii I see. One day, I’ll get around to IDing them!
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
November 22, 2025 at 10:32 AM
I love the variety of copepod nauplii I see. One day, I’ll get around to IDing them!
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
I usually see these bizarre looking copepods from the order Monstrilloida in the height of summer, so I was surprised to see one in my sample this week, when the sea surface temperature was around 10.5 C.
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
November 21, 2025 at 4:28 PM
I usually see these bizarre looking copepods from the order Monstrilloida in the height of summer, so I was surprised to see one in my sample this week, when the sea surface temperature was around 10.5 C.
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
I think Gallifrey missed me. #catsonsky
November 21, 2025 at 10:40 AM
I think Gallifrey missed me. #catsonsky
I won a thing! I’m so honoured to have won the NBN newcomers award at the @nbntrust.bsky.social
conference today, for the work I’m doing around plankton sampling and data collection. #marineplankton 🦑
conference today, for the work I’m doing around plankton sampling and data collection. #marineplankton 🦑
November 20, 2025 at 7:46 PM
I won a thing! I’m so honoured to have won the NBN newcomers award at the @nbntrust.bsky.social
conference today, for the work I’m doing around plankton sampling and data collection. #marineplankton 🦑
conference today, for the work I’m doing around plankton sampling and data collection. #marineplankton 🦑
A few recent foraminifera. These are amoeboid protists that have little shells!
#marineplankton 🦑 #protistsonsky
#marineplankton 🦑 #protistsonsky
November 19, 2025 at 9:59 PM
A few recent foraminifera. These are amoeboid protists that have little shells!
#marineplankton 🦑 #protistsonsky
#marineplankton 🦑 #protistsonsky
Well this is fabulous surprise! My first ever Candacia armata copepod and he’s a BEAST! Utterly gorgeous!
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
November 19, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Well this is fabulous surprise! My first ever Candacia armata copepod and he’s a BEAST! Utterly gorgeous!
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
Copepod hair band for the @nbntrust.bsky.social conference or no?
November 19, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Copepod hair band for the @nbntrust.bsky.social conference or no?
One of the larger diatoms I come across, Neocalyptrella robusta.
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
November 17, 2025 at 9:45 PM
One of the larger diatoms I come across, Neocalyptrella robusta.
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
It’s vet day. Poor babies 😿
November 17, 2025 at 10:14 AM
It’s vet day. Poor babies 😿
Boop! A cnidarian planula larva bumps into a dancing nematode.
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
November 17, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Boop! A cnidarian planula larva bumps into a dancing nematode.
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
Morning snuggles with my boy #catsonsky
November 17, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Morning snuggles with my boy #catsonsky
Cutie baby sea snails hanging out.
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
November 16, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Cutie baby sea snails hanging out.
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
I sample the same place each week, so it’s nice to occasionally look at plankton from other locations! I get to see unusual (for me) species, which is always exciting. Like this diatom colony of Achnanthes sp. Just lovely!
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
November 16, 2025 at 9:41 AM
I sample the same place each week, so it’s nice to occasionally look at plankton from other locations! I get to see unusual (for me) species, which is always exciting. Like this diatom colony of Achnanthes sp. Just lovely!
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
A hydrozoa medusa from the family Eirenidae (I think).
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
November 15, 2025 at 6:53 PM
A hydrozoa medusa from the family Eirenidae (I think).
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
I don’t get to see these little green balls of loveliness very often. Halosphaera sp.
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
November 14, 2025 at 7:57 PM
I don’t get to see these little green balls of loveliness very often. Halosphaera sp.
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
A lovely gastropod larva showing us its velum. Thank you baby snail!
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
November 14, 2025 at 9:20 AM
A lovely gastropod larva showing us its velum. Thank you baby snail!
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
A pretty little lightbulb sea squirt from yesterday’s dock fouling session.
🦑
🦑
November 13, 2025 at 4:48 PM
A pretty little lightbulb sea squirt from yesterday’s dock fouling session.
🦑
🦑
This is from the same place a few summers ago
November 12, 2025 at 9:26 PM
This is from the same place a few summers ago
The iridescent beauty of a sea gooseberry ctenophore, seen at our dock fouling session today. Some plankton is big enough to see without a microscope!
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
November 12, 2025 at 9:13 PM
The iridescent beauty of a sea gooseberry ctenophore, seen at our dock fouling session today. Some plankton is big enough to see without a microscope!
#marineplankton 🦑
#marineplankton 🦑
This little polychaete larva is having a good wiggle!
#marineplankton 🦑 sound on for funky tunes
#marineplankton 🦑 sound on for funky tunes
November 12, 2025 at 6:50 AM
This little polychaete larva is having a good wiggle!
#marineplankton 🦑 sound on for funky tunes
#marineplankton 🦑 sound on for funky tunes