Tardigrade in meltwater. Light microscopy footage of a tardigrade ('water bear') in meltwater formed from cryoconite ice holes. Tardigrades are tiny invertebrates that live in aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats worldwide, and are able to endure extreme conditions. Cryoconite is a powdery dust and sediment transported by the wind to fall on a glacier or ice sheet. The sediments absorb heat from the sun and melt downwards into the ice, forming holes. The sediments and meltwater can contain microfauna and extremophiles, microbes that exist in extreme conditions such as freezing temperatures. This sample is from Greenland.