This astronaut photo from January 6, 2009, shows giant kelp beds in the waters surrounding Mac Murdo and Howe Islands—2 of the 300 islands that make up the Kerguélen Archipelago in the southern Indian Ocean.
Published Mar 2, 2009
In one frame International Space Station astronauts were able to capture the evolution of fringing reefs to atolls. As with the Hawaiian Islands, these volcanic hot spot islands become progressively older to the northwest. As these islands move away from their magma sources they erode and subside.
Published Feb 16, 2003
The Dry Tortugas are a group of islands located approximately 75 miles west of Key West, Florida; they form the western end of the Florida Keys in the Gulf of Mexico. This astronaut photograph highlights three islands in the group: Bush Key, Hospital Key, and Garden Key, which is the site of Fort Jefferson, a Civil War-era fort.
Published Aug 18, 2008
The play of sunlight on water gives definition to the jagged coastlines of Sardinia and Corsica.
Published Jun 14, 2020
This detailed astronaut photograph features surface currents illuminated by mirror-like reflections of sunlight off the waters around the Malée Atoll in the Maldive Islands.
Published Mar 1, 2010
Coral, rock, silt, sand, rubble, sponges, and seaweed all contribute to the architecture of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
Published Dec 27, 2011
The Whitsunday Islands are a collection of some 74 islands sandwiched between the Australian mainland and the outer atolls of the Great Barrier Reef.
Published Jan 2, 2010
Winds ruffling the water surface around the Hawaiian Islands create varying patterns, leaving some areas calmer than others. On the leeward sides of the islands, calmer waters show up as brighter silver coloration. Conversely, most vegetation grows on the windward sides.
Published Jun 3, 2003
This approximately true-color image shows part of the Turks and Caicos Islands archipelago, observed September 18, 2001.
Published Apr 17, 2009
Acquired September 17, 2005, this true-color image shows Tortola, the largest of the British Virgin Islands. Also shown are Tortola’s smaller neighbors: Guana Island, Grand Camanoe, and Beef Island.
Published Nov 29, 2009
