kids encyclopedia robot

Image: Algal bloom 20040615

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Original image(2,800 × 2,200 pixels, file size: 374 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)

Description: Coccolithophore bloom off Brittany, France. The chalky white exteriors of single-celled marine plants called coccolithophores are coloring the water of the Atlantic Ocean bright blue. Like other types of phytoplankton, coccolithophores are a source of food for marine organisms. Though coccoliths are small, they often form large, concentrated blooms that are visible from space. On June 15, 2004, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of a bloom off the coast of Brittany, France. The bloom had been developing for a few days before this image was taken.
Title: Algal bloom 20040615
Credit: Sensor: Aqua/MODIS, http://veimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/6574/France.A2004167.1335.148.250m.jpg from http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_rec.php?id=6574
Author: Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No

The following page links to this image:

kids search engine