A scientist has revealed what you really swallow when you go into the ocean.
Adolfo Sanchez Blanco is a biology professor who regularly shares educational videos on his TikTok channel, where he has more than 467,000 followers.
Recently, the Connecticut professor shared what’s in the mouthful of ocean water you just accidentally ingested.
In a viral clip, which has been viewed more than 6.8 million times to date, the professor gave viewers a glimpse into the microscopic life most likely in the water you swallowed.
Adolfo Sánchez-Blanco is a biology professor who has revealed what you really swallow when you go into the ocean
The Connecticut professor shared what’s in the mouthful of ocean water you just accidentally ingested (Colonial diatoms shown at left Nauplius larva of a microscopic crustacean shown at right)
He gave viewers a glimpse into the microscopic life that resides in the water (diatoms next to grains of sand on the left and diatoms on the right)
At the beginning of the video, we see the scientist going into the ocean to collect a water sample.
He then placed the drop of water under a microscope.
The drop of seawater contained many microorganisms, including: Nauplius larva of a microscopic crustacean, an insect in the early stages of its life.
There was also Diatom next to a grain of sand, Broken fustule of a diatomaceous earth, Dinoflagellate, Diatomaceous earth, Colonial diatom and a swimming protozoa.
A diatomaceous earth is a unicellular alga while a protozoa is a parasite.
Adolfo explained in his video that while the organisms are nearly invisible to the naked eye, it’s very likely that anyone who’s taken a dip in the ocean has ingested them all at some point — though he was quick to emphasize that they won’t be real cause damage.
“If you love swimming in the ocean, it’s only a matter of time before you accidentally swallow a little water,” he explained in the caption.
“But if you accidentally swallow a little bit of ocean water, don’t worry, it won’t make you sick.” The hydrochloric acid your stomach produces kills the micro-organisms you ingest.’
At the beginning of the video, the scientist can be seen going into the ocean to collect a water sample. He then places the water drop under a microscope.
He explained that you shouldn’t be afraid of the water because microscopic life is ‘always present’ (on the left is a piece of decomposing algae with diatoms and protozoa and on the right is dinoflagellate).
The professor noted that you should avoid swallowing ocean water because you never know what might be lurking in there (diatoms shown)
He explained that you shouldn’t be afraid of the water, because microscopic life is “always present.”
‘So don’t be afraid! Microscopic life is always present in all aquatic ecosystems. Microscopic life as you saw in the video is essential to maintain the overall health of aquatic ecosystems.
‘The problem arises when an aquatic ecosystem such as the ocean becomes polluted. This changes the balance in the ecosystem and allows micro-organisms such as bacteria to thrive.
“For example, if ocean water contains excessive amounts of bacteria, it leads to gastrointestinal infections, skin problems or other worse problems,” he explained.
The professor noted that you should avoid swallowing ocean water because you never know what might be lurking in there.
He noted that the microorganisms shown in the video are not harmful.
Speak against News weekhe said it’s not unusual for microorganisms to be harmful, adding that it just depends on where the water sample was taken from.
“Most importantly, the ocean is teeming with microscopic life and this microscopic life is essential to the overall health of the marine ecosystems as these creatures play a fundamental role in the marine food web,” he told the outlet.
Viewers were shocked by what they saw and flooded the comments section
Adolfo, who teaches at Capital Community College in Hartford, Connecticut, said he started sharing information on social media to get students excited about learning.
Viewers were shocked by what they saw and flooded the comments section.
One person said, ‘Well thanks, (I’m) never going to swim again.’
Another user added, “Never go to the beach again.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever go into the ocean again,” another wrote.
“Hahah, new fear unlocked,” one user commented.