Deep-sea Copepod Gets a Close-up

This female deep-sea copepod (Pontostratiotes sp.) was collected in the southeastern Atlantic at a depth of 17,700 feet (5395 meters). How does it find food so deep in the sea? Tiny particles (known as marine snow) sink from the surface to the deep, feeding animals big and small. This photo, taken at 10x zoom and with artificial color, was an honorable mention in the 2012 Nikon Small World photomicrography competition.