@dr.bioforever: When the conditions are dry, moss dries out to the point of not even appearing alive. But the moment it gets exposed to water, the moss cells rehydrate and rapidly become active again. The degree of desiccation resistance mosses can have is incredible! . Every piece of moss is like a miniature forest filled with all sorts of microscopic creatures. When the moss dries, the moss dwelling microorganisms enter into a state of 'suspended animation' where their metabolism slows down dramatically. When water reappears, the organisms come back to life. This is why before I looked at the organisms, I hydrated the moss for a few hours. By hydrating the moss, I allowed the organisms that were in 'suspended animation' to come back to life and this way I was able to observe them. . Yes, I found several different species of tardigrades (water bears) as well as rotifers, nematodes, protozoans, and others in the tiny piece of moss that I rehydrated. . For this video I used a Leica ZOOM 200 stereoscope and an Olympus BX41 microscope at up to 200x magnification. #microscopy #ecology #moss #tardigrades #waterbears

Adolfo Sánchez-Blanco, Ph.D

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Tuesday 19 May 2026 13:40:10 GMT