THE humble plankton had better watch out.

Its lifestyle and relationships are about to be scrutinised as never before by the world's first underwater hologram camera being trialled today in Southampton Water.

The 3D camera Holomar unveiled at Southampton Oceanography Centre will take laser photographs of the tiny organisms in their water habitat that will be projected into holograms for researchers to examine in the lab for clues to the secrets of global warming.

The revolutionary camera was developed by a partnership of three British universities including the oceanography centre, as well as universities and research bodies in France and Italy over three years with a £1 million grant from the European Union.

Trials that began yesterday at a meeting of the research partners are being conducted by a team at the oceanography centre, which also developed the camera's watertight case.

After the first tests in Southampton Water, the equipment will undergo trials off the west coast of Scotland.

Open sea trials will then take place in the Atlantic ocean.

Marine biologist Dr Richard Lampitt, of the centre, said: "The climate is changing and the global environment is greatly influenced by the interactions which occur in the top 100 metres of the ocean.

"Plankton control the exchange of carbon between the atmosphere and the ocean and hence affect global climate change.

"As a result of Holomar we are in a much stronger position to examine the interaction between these marine organisms.

"We shall be recording the distribution of the plankton over the top 100 metres of ocean to examine the way they are interacting with each other and their environment."

Project coordinator Dr John Watson, of Aberdeen University, said: "When you replay the hologram in the laboratory, it is almost like looking at a cube of sea water floating in space in front of you."

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