Duckweed with microscopic bubble reflection. The bubbles are created from photosynthesis, natural aeration for freshwater habitats. Duckweed is one of the world's smallest flowering aquatic plants. This variety is Lemna minor, between 0.5cm and 1cm in size. Its sticky root is about 2cm long. Typically duckweed floats on the surface of ponds and lakes, but when its roots become tangled up with filamentous algae or stuck to aquatic life, it becomes submerged. That's when the magic starts to happen ...

Location: Urban wildlife pond, Surrey, England, UK

Photographer: Laura Storm