bubble images - Joel Sartore

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INV006-00325

Conservancy fairy shrimp (Branchinecta conservatio) at the Snobird Unit of the Merced National Wildlife Refuge.

These rare shrimp have an accelerated life cycle, going from eggs in dry soil to hatching, to adult to egg laying, all in just a few months before the pool goes dry.

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INV006-00324

Conservancy fairy shrimp (Branchinecta conservatio) at the Snobird Unit of the Merced National Wildlife Refuge.

These rare shrimp have an accelerated life cycle, going from eggs in dry soil to hatching, to adult to egg laying, all in just a few months before the pool goes dry.

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INV006-00323

Endangered conservancy fairy shrimp (Branchinecta conservatio) at the Snobird Unit of the Merced National Wildlife Refuge.

These rare shrimp have an accelerated life cycle, going from eggs in dry soil to hatching, to adult to egg laying, all in just a few months before the pool goes dry.

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INV006-00322

Federally endangered longhorn fairy shrimp (Branchinecta longiantenna) at the Kesterson Unit of the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge.

These rare shrimp have an accelerated life cycle, going from eggs in dry soil to hatching, to adult to egg laying, all in just a few months before the pool goes dry.

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INV006-00321

Federally endangered longhorn fairy shrimp (Branchinecta longiantenna) at the Kesterson Unit of the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge.

These rare shrimp have an accelerated life cycle, going from eggs in dry soil to hatching, to adult to egg laying, all in just a few months before the pool goes dry.

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INV006-00320

Federally endangered vernal pool tadpole shrimp, Lepidurus packardi, at the Kesterson Unit of the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge.

These rare shrimp have an accelerated life cycle, going from eggs in dry soil to hatching, to adult to egg laying, all in just a few months before the pool goes dry.

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INV006-00318

Federally endangered vernal pool tadpole shrimp, Lepidurus packardi, at the Kesterson Unit of the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge.

These rare shrimp have an accelerated life cycle, going from eggs in dry soil to hatching, to adult to egg laying, all in just a few months before the pool goes dry.

A picture of a narrow-winged damselfly larva (family Coenagrionidae) at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge near Pahrump, NV.

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INS022-00061

A narrow-winged damselfly larva (family Coenagrionidae) at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge near Pahrump, NV.

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Critically endangered (IUCN) and federally endangered Cumberlandian combshell (Epioblasma brevidens). It has lures that look like fish eggs on top that are used to attract fish. When a fish strikes at the lures, the mussels then eject their larvae into the fish’s gills and are able to increase their distribution, even upstream. The Clinch River has more federally listed aquatic species than any river in North America, yet is threatened by pollution and habitat loss. Coal mining in the watershed now raises the threat even more.

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PEO003-00424

A girl chews bubble gum and listens to music in rural Flatville, IL.

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PEO003-00423

A girl chews bubble gum and uses a portable gaming device in rural Flatville, IL.

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PEO003-00421

A girl chews bubble gum and uses a portable gaming device in rural Flatville, IL.

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PEO003-00422

A girl chews bubble gum and uses a portable gaming device in rural Flatville, IL.

An endangered (IUCN) pearl darter (Percina aurora), at conservation fisheries, a native stream fish breeding center.

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ESA001-00270

An endangered (IUCN) pearl darter (Percina aurora), at conservation fisheries, a native stream fish breeding center.

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PEO004-00544

Theatrical mermaids use oxygen tubes to breathe underwater while performing at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park in Weeki Wachee, Florida.

A crew working to clean a brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) at the rehab center in Fort Jackson, Louisiana. This is where the majority of the oiled birds were brought in from the deep water horizon oil spill.

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ENV021-00060

A crew working to clean a brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) at the rehab center in Fort Jackson, Louisiana. This is where the majority of the oiled birds were brought in from the deep water horizon oil spill.

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ENV021-00062

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ENV021-00063

A crew working to clean a pelican at the rehab center in Fort Jackson, Louisiana. This is where the majority of the oiled birds were brought in from the deep water horizon oil spill.