Gorgeous Phytoplankton Bloom Spotted From Space

While the Earth can wow us with its stunning natural beauty, sometimes you need a pretty unique vantage point to really appreciate it. For instance, this picture of a phytoplankton bloom swirling in a figure-eight pattern probably wouldn’t look like much if you were in the midst of it. But when viewed from the European Space Agency’s Envisat satellite, the smearing shapes and bold colors can really be appreciated. In addition to being pretty to look at, images like this can give scientists a better understanding of the microscopic phytoplankton — which play a huge role in removing carbon from the atmosphere and form the basis of the marine food chain.

(ESA via Universe Today)

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