In April 2023, swirls of green and turquoise burst into vivid color in the Atlantic. Much of the color comes from a phytoplankton bloom. Although phytoplankton are individually microscopic, they Keep reading
Tag: phytoplankton
The Epic Migration of Plankton
Zooplankton are tiny creatures found throughout Earth’s oceans. During the daytime, they linger in the twilight depths, where they are harder for predators to spot. But once the sun sets, Keep reading
Blooms in the Black Sea
The Black Sea gains its name from its dark waters, but those waters don’t stay dark year-round. In this natural color satellite image, streaks of milky blue bloom through the Keep reading
Turquoise Eddies
During the summer months, the Barents Sea between Norway and Russia is streaked with blue and teal swirls. These beautiful patterns are the result of a phytoplankton bloom, as viewed Keep reading
“Feeding the Sea”
It’s impressive when a microscopic organism is visible from space, but that’s a regular occurrence for phytoplankton, the tiny marine algae that feed much of the ocean. In this video Keep reading
Green Swirls and Dark Streaks
Green phytoplankton blooms swirl through the currents of the Baltic Sea in this satellite image. Individual phytoplankton are microscopic, which makes them excellent tracer particles in the flow; together, they Keep reading
Bioluminescence at the Beach
A bioluminescent phytoplankton bloom is causing a stir among California beachgoers. During the daytime, aggregations of Lingulodinium polyedra appear reddish-brown in color (think the classic ‘red tide’). But at night Keep reading
Phytoplankton Swirls
A winter bloom of phytoplankton appears as green and teal swirls in this false-color satellite image of the Gulf of Aden. Although phytoplankton can be an important food source for fish and Keep reading
Phytoplankton Swirl
View this post on Instagram Every summer, phytoplankton spread across the northern basins of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, with blooms spanning hundreds and sometimes thousands of kilometers. One Keep reading
Swirling Blooms
Every summer, as the ice melts, the waters of the Chukchi Sea off the Alaskan coast come alive with phytoplankton blooms. In satellite images like this one, they can look Keep reading