Intense streaks of blue and green colored the South Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Argentina on November 15, 2009.
Published Nov 21, 2009
Southeast of Hokkaido, where two ocean currents converge, swirls of phytoplankton color the Pacific green and blue.
Published Jun 11, 2009
The dynamic colors of ocean phytoplankton blooms reflect a host of dynamic relationships occurring below the water line.
Published Jan 9, 2015
Ocean currents and nutrient-rich waters conspire to create a boon for some ocean species and a dead zone for others.
Published Apr 30, 2014
Late in 2013, a mid-summer bloom of phytoplankton gave color to a whirling eddy south of Australia.
Published Jan 9, 2014
A bloom large enough to be visible from space shows up off the coast of New Jersey.
Published Jul 10, 2016
A flash of blue and green lit the waters off Namibia in early November 2007 as a phytoplankton bloom grew and faded in the Atlantic Ocean. The bloom stretches from north to south along hundreds of kilometers, though it is brightest in the center of this image. Such blooms are common in the coastal waters off southwest Africa where cold, nutrient-rich currents sweep north from Antarctica and interact with the coastal shelf. At the same time, the easterly trade winds push surface water away from the shore, allowing water from the ocean’s floor to rise to the surface, bringing with it iron and other material. The suffusion of nutrients from both the currents and upwelling water creates an environment where tiny surface-dwelling ocean plants (phytoplankton) thrive.
Published Nov 22, 2007
