A scientist has revealed what you’re really swallowing when you enter the ocean.
Adolfo Sanchez-Blanco is a biology teacher who frequently posts educational videos to his TikTok channel, where he has more than 467,000 followers.
Most recently, the Connecticut-based professor shared what’s inside the mouthful of ocean water he just accidentally took.
In a viral clip, which has so far racked up more than 6.8 million views, the professor gave viewers a glimpse into the microscopic life likely found in the water you swallowed.
Adolfo Sánchez-Blanco is a biology professor who has revealed what you are really swallowing when you get into the ocean
The Connecticut-based professor shared what’s inside the mouthful of ocean water he just accidentally drank (colonial diatom shown left, Nauplius larva of a microscopic crustacean shown right).
He gave viewers a glimpse into the microscopic life in the water (diatom next to grains of sand shown on the left and diatom on the right).
At the beginning of the video, the scientist is seen wading 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, which is an insect in its early stages of life.
There was also Diatom next to a Grain of Sand, Broken Diatom Fustula, Dinoflagellate, Diatom, Colonial Diatom, and a Swimming Protozoan.
A diatom is a single-celled algae, while a protozoan is a parasite.
Adolfo explained in his video that while the organisms are almost invisible to the naked eye, it’s highly likely that anyone who has submerged in the ocean has ingested them all at some point, though he was quick to emphasize that they won’t cause any real harm.
“If you like to swim in the ocean, it’s only a matter of time until you accidentally swallow some water,” she explained in the caption.
‘But if you were to swallow some ocean water by accident, don’t worry, you won’t get sick. The hydrochloric acid that your stomach produces will kill microorganisms that you ingest.
At the beginning of the video, the scientist is seen wading into the ocean to collect a water sample, then placed the water droplet under a microscope.
He explained that you shouldn’t be afraid of water because microscopic life is ‘always present’ (left is a piece of decaying algae with diatoms and protozoa and (right is a dinoflagellate)
The professor pointed out that you should avoid swallowing ocean water because you never know what might be lurking (diatoms shown)
He explained that there is no need to be afraid of water because microscopic life is ‘always present’.
‘So don’t be scared! Microscopic life is always present in all aquatic ecosystems. Microscopic life like the one you saw in the video is essential to maintaining the overall health of aquatic ecosystems.
‘The problem is when an aquatic ecosystem such as the ocean becomes contaminated. This will upset the balance in the ecosystem and microorganisms such as bacteria will thrive.
“For example, when ocean water contains excessive amounts of bacteria, this will lead to gastrointestinal infections, skin problems, or worse,” he explained.
The professor noted that swallowing ocean water should be avoided because you never know what might be lurking in it.
He noted that the microorganisms shown in the video are not harmful.
speaking to news weekHe said it’s not unusual for microorganisms to be harmful, adding that it just depends on where the water sample was taken.
“What is important is that the ocean is teeming with microscopic life and that this microscopic life is essential to the overall health of marine ecosystems, as these creatures play a critical role in the marine food web,” he told the outlet.
Viewers were shocked by what they saw and flooded the comment section.
Adolfo, who teaches at Capital Community College in Hartford, Connecticut, said he began sharing information on social media as a way to get students excited about learning.
Viewers were shocked by what they saw and flooded the comment section.
One person said, ‘Well thanks, I’ll never swim again.’
Another user added: “I will never go to the beach again.”
“Guess I’ll never go in the ocean again,” another person wrote.
‘Hahah, new fear unlocked,’ one user commented.
