Plankton—microscopic drifters of the sea—are the unsung architects of Earth’s climate. Though invisible, they form a vast engine that regulates the carbon cycle, generating half our oxygen and pulling 40% of human-emitted carbon into the deep ocean. As they die, they fall as “marine snow”—described by Rachel Carson as “the most stupendous snowfall the earth has ever seen.”
Yet their role is often missing from climate models. Recent work from Stanford’s Prakash Lab shows that ignoring microbial life results in an 80-gigaton error—nearly 10% of the global carbon budget.
Using data from the PlanktonScope and Gravity Machine—tools developed at Prakash Lab—Jiabao Li, Manu Prakash, and collaborators translate this hidden world into video installations, performance, kinetic sculpture, and interactive experience. Gathered from 18 expeditions across seven years, the datasets offer an unprecedented look at microbial ocean life.
Numbers alone rarely move us. These works turn data into sensation—inviting audiences to feel the awe, urgency, and fragility of this microscopic realm. They reveal how life at the tiniest scale carries planetary weight—and how our survival is deeply entangled with theirs.
