NASA: Argentina - Blooming in the South Atlantic - 12.10.13
Posted by Ricardo Marcenaro | Posted in NASA: Argentina - Blooming in the South Atlantic - 12.10.13 | Posted on 13:12
acquired November 26, 2013
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acquired November 26, 2013
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acquired November 26, 2013
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Offshore from Argentina, spring is in bloom. Massive patches of floating phytoplankton
colored the ocean in November 2013. These microscopic, plant-like
organisms are the primary producers of the ocean, harnessing sunlight to
nourish themselves and to become food for everything from zooplankton
to fish to whales.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra
satellite captured this natural-color image on November 26, 2013. The
chalky blue swirls in the South Atlantic Ocean, as well as fainter
streaks of yellow and green, are evidence of abundant growth of
phytoplankton across hundreds of kilometers of the sea. These organisms
contain pigments (such as chlorophyll) or minerals (calcium carbonate)
that appear blue, green, white, or other colors depending on the
species. The phytoplankton in this image are likely a blend of diatoms,
dinoflagellates, and coccolithophores. Near the coast, the discoloration
of the water could be phytoplankton or it might be sediment runoff from
rivers.
These phytoplankton help fuel one of the world’s best fishing grounds, particularly for shortfin squid, hake, anchovies, whiting, and sardines. The area known as the Patagonian “shelf-break front,” is a crossroads of currents—Circumpolar, Brazil, and Malvinas—where nutrients are carried in from southern waters or churned up from the edge of the continental shelf.
Fish and squid aggregate in high concentrations at the shelfbreak
because it is a very productive area for phytoplankton during austral
spring and summer, said Marina Marrari, a biological oceanographer with
Argentina’s Servicio de Hidrografia Naval (Hydrographic Service). Blooms
of phytoplankton have been developing for several weeks, as shown in
MODIS images from November 18 and November 9, 2013.
Read more about fishing and phytoplankton off the coast of Argentina in our recent feature story: Something Fishy in the Atlantic Night.
NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response. Caption by Michael Carlowicz.
- Instrument:
- Terra - MODIS
NASA: Argentina - Blooming in the South Atlantic - 12.10.13
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