Phytoplankton bloom in the Bay of Biscay - related image preview

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Phytoplankton bloom in the Bay of Biscay

Enormous clouds of rich blue-green phytplankton swirl through the waters of the Bay of Biscay in this true-color Aqua MODIS image acquired April 29, 2005. Stretching across almost the entirety of the Bay, the phytoplankton reveal currents and eddies in the water. Phytoplankton are tiny single-celled organisms that feed off of sunlight and nutrients in the water; they use chlorophyll, like their land-based plant relatives, to drive this process. It is the chlorophyll that gives them their distinctive colors, and which in large-enough populations helps them stand out against the deep blue of clear water. More information about Earth Observatory website.


Jeff Schmaltz

Published January 5, 2005
Data acquired April 29, 2005

Source:
Aqua > MODIS
Collections:
MODIS Image of the Day
Visible Earth