Phytoplankton blooming in the Chukchi Sea off the coast of Alaska
© Norman Kuring/Kathryn Hansen/U.S. Geological Survey/NAS
What's blooming so brightly?. Earth Science Week
Hundreds of shades of blue are marbled together in this cool shot. No, it's not a work of modern art, it's right off the brush of nature. This is a satellite photo of phytoplankton blooming near Alaska as the cool, salty Chukchi Sea mingles with warmer, fresher water closer to shore.
But just what are phytoplankton? They're microscopic sun-powered organisms that float near the surface of the ocean, drifting with the currents. In fact, their name derives from the Greek 'phyton' for plant and 'planktos' for wanderer or drifter. Delicious and nut…..
Related Images
Mona Vale Rockpool, Sydney, Australia
Atlantic spotted dolphins near Santa Maria Island, Azores, Portugal
Manatee in Three Sisters Springs, Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
Broken Beach in Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia
Aerial view of Khao Sok National Park, Surat Thani, Thailand
Group of giant cuttlefish in Spencer Gulf, off Whyalla, South Australia
Crescent-tail bigeye fish in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
A green sea turtle swims in the Pacific Ocean near the French special collectivity of New Caledonia
Today on Bing
Aspens in the White River National Forest, Colorado
Oct 09, 2024
Letchworth State Park, New York
Oct 09, 2019