We regularly go to the marine station of Villefranche-sur-Mer in the Mediterranean Sea (Institut de la Mer de Villefranche, IMEV) to collect marine plankton (5 hours drive from Grenoble). This is a very nice place to sample symbiotic organisms (radiolarians with their symbiotic microalgae) thanks to their abundance all year round and proximity to the coast. We are grateful to the marine crew (Guillaume de Liège), Sophie Marro and John Dolan for their help and support, as well as EMBRC and CORBEL for funding.