North Atlantic Bloom

Millions of tiny plants bloom in the sun-lit waters of the North Atlantic Ocean every spring and summer, painting the water with brilliant swirls of blue and green.
North Atlantic Bloom
Image

North Atlantic Bloom

Published Jul 17, 2007

Water Color

North Atlantic Bloom
Image

North Atlantic Bloom

Reminiscent of the distinctive swirls in a Van Gogh painting, millions of microscopic plants color the waters of the North Atlantic with strokes of blue, turquoise, green, and brown. Fed by nutrients that have built up during the winter and the long, sunlit days of late spring and early summer, the cool waters of the North Atlantic come alive every year with a vivid display of color. The microscopic plants, called phytoplankton, that give the water this color are the base of the marine food chain.

Published Jul 3, 2007

Image of the Day Water Water Color