Beautiful NASA Image Shows Swirling Phytoplankton Bloom

By: By Laura Dattaro

Published: January 10,2014

 

 

 

 

A NASA satellite took this image of a phytoplankton bloom hundreds of miles across. (NASA Earth Observatory/Jesse Allen/Robert Simmon)

While the northern hemisphere battles bitter cold and winter storms, the southern hemisphere is bathed in warmth and sunlight — and it’s not just people who are enjoying it. Phytoplankton, microscopic organisms that drift freely through waters both salty and fresh, depend on sunlight to grow, and when conditions are particularly favorable, their populations can expand exponentially, causing a phenomenon known as a bloom, like the one captured in this true-color image from NASA’s Aqua satellite.

A closeup of the bloom. (NASA Earth Observatory/Jesse Allen/Robert Simmon)

Taken on Dec. 30, 2013, the image shows a bloom about 250 miles across in the Indian Ocean, about 375 miles off the Australian coast, according to NASA. The phytoplankton trace a current in the water known as an eddy, which can churn up nutrients that the phytoplankton then feed on, further contributing to the bloom. The blue color comes from the calcium carbonate that makes up the shells of the phytoplankton.Though the blooms can last for weeks, individual phytoplankton only live for a few days. They provide food for myriad marine species, but the blooms can sometimes be toxic and block sunlight from other plant species below the water’s surface. So while the photo is pretty to look at, it may reveal some bad news for this part of the ocean.
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Dolphins ride the waves off the coast of South Africa. (Greg Huglin/greghuglin.com).