phytoplankton

The Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission captured a significant algae bloom around the Falkland Islands in 2023, underscoring the role of ocean currents in supporting marine ecosystems and showcasing the satellites’ vital environmental monitoring functions. Credit: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2023), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGOIn November 2023, the Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission documented a vast algae bloom around the Falkland Islands, highlighting the interplay between oceanic currents that fuel these…

Satellite image of splotches of blue and green swirling through surface waters of South Australia’s Bonney Coast on January 10, 2024.Cool, upwelling water supports an array of marine life and draws the occasional filmmaker to the Bonney Coast region.When satellites passed over South Australia’s Bonney Coast in January 2024, they captured images showing splotches of blue and green swirling through surface waters. These colorful filaments of phytoplankton were blooming right on time. The microscopic plant-like organisms…

A study by the University of Washington, analyzing an 800-year-old ice core, suggests that phytoplankton populations in the North Atlantic have remained stable since the industrial era. This finding challenges previous assumptions of a significant decline and highlights the impact of industrial pollutants on atmospheric chemistry. Credit: SciTechDaily.comNew research reveals that North Atlantic phytoplankton populations have been stable since the industrial era, contradicting previous studies of decline.To paraphrase Mark…

Satellite image of Norway’s Bear Island acquired on July 13, 2023, by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Aqua satellite shows Von Kármán vortices in the clouds and swirling tendrils of a phytoplankton bloom in the Norwegian and Barents Sea. Fluid dynamics put on a spectacular show around Norway’s remote Bear Island. Theodore von Kármán, a Hungarian-American physicist, is well-known within NASA for helping found the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. But in atmospheric science circles, he is most celebrated…

This image, acquired on April 8, 2011, with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments on NASA’s Terra satellite, shows Saharan dust over the Bay of Biscay. A phytoplankton bloom makes the water appear bright green and blue. Sediment is likely contributing to some of the color, especially in coastal areas. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory image by Wanmei Liang, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/WorldviewA study published in Science reveals that mineral dust from land plays a vital…

Identifying Phytoplankton Species in Microscopic Ocean Images to Learn about Underwater EcosystemsPhoto by CDC on UnsplashThe oceans of Earth are some of the most interesting and biologically active parts of the environment. Unfortunately, conditions such as extreme pressure and temperatures in such areas makes it difficult to gather information about these ecosystems. This setback has made it challenging to analyze data and produce findings on the biology and aquatic life in oceans.Recent research however has shown that…

Large summer phytoplankton bloom near the North Pole (eastern Eurasian Basin) in summer 2014. Satellite-derived mean chlorophyll a concentration within the region of the bloom (28–155°E, 80–85°N) during the summer of 2014 (a). Dot color represents which satellite sensor (MODIS Aqua, Terra, or VIIRS) is used. Dot size is relative to the number of observations obtained (i.e., pixels). The blue line is the climatological daily average of surface…