GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
tags: Small World Photography Competition, Pleurosigma, micrography, image of the day
Michael Stringer gathers diatoms, which are a type of algae and one of the most common types of phytoplankton, from the mud collected on Two Tree Island in the River Thames. He estimates that he has discovered more than 2,000 species of diatoms so far.
Nikon International Small World Competition is held annually to recognize excellent photography through a microscope. This year, more than 2,000 micrographs were entered from around the world. I am sharing some of them with you here.
Life Science
Humanities & Social Science
