Phytoplankton Bloom in North Sea
Credit: Norman Kuring; NASA, Posted on: Thursday, 15 May 2008, 06:15 CDT Download full size image
The northern and western highlands of Scotland were still winter-brown and even dusted with snow in places, but the waters of the North Sea were blooming with phytoplankton on May 8, 2008, when the MODIS on the Aqua satellite passed over the region and captured this image. The tiny, plant-like organisms swirled in the waters off the country’s east coast, coloring the shallow coastal waters shades of bright blue and green.
Phytoplankton are tiny organisms—many are just a single cell—that use chlorophyll and other pigments to capture light for photosynthesis. Because these pigments absorb sunlight, they change the color of the light reflected from the sea surface back to the satellite. Scientists have used observations of “ocean color” from satellites for more than 20 years to track worldwide patterns in phytoplankton blooms.
Phytoplankton are important to the Earth system for a host of reasons, including their status as the base of the ocean food web. In the North Sea, they are the base of the food web that supports Scotland’s commercial fisheries, including monkfish and herring. As photosynthesizers, they also play a crucial role in the carbon cycle, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Some oceanographers are concerned that rising ocean temperatures will slow phytoplankton growth rates, harming marine ecosystems and causing carbon dioxide to accumulate more rapidly in the atmosphere.
More Images

Change Detection for Hellespontus Dunes.Change Detection for Hellespontus Dunes (HiRise Camera - Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter)...

Around The Star Cluster Terzan 5.This wide-field image, based on data from Digitized Sky Survey 2, shows the whole region around the ...
Latest Thoughts
-
Nov 30, 2009, 10:39 am
How Do Quasars Get Dressed?
-
Nov 30, 2009, 9:51 am
PTSD: Troops Home and In Need of Jobs
-
Nov 30, 2009, 9:07 am
New Med Tech Leads to Allergy Fix
-
Nov 30, 2009, 9:00 am
Zoo TV: Using Pets to Help Sick Children
-
Nov 30, 2009, 8:20 am
Study: Many Doctors Don't Take Care of Themselves
-
Nov 30, 2009, 8:18 am
Kids Are Most Vulnerable to H1N1
- More Videos













RSS Feeds