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Eye of Plankton off the coast of South Africa
Late spring and early summer in the southern hemisphere is the perfect time for the growth of microscopic plants: phytoplankton. Stimulated by sunlight it spreads enormously.
It has been photographed by a spectroradiometer (MODIS) attached to a NASA satellite.
The blue vortex visible in the picture, is the phytoplankton in a background of the turquoise Indian Ocean waters off the Southern coast of South Africa.
The picture was taken on 26th December. It is the time of late spring and early summer in the southern hemisphere. The warm rays of the sun stimulate the life of these microscopic plants, causing their growth.
This is a very beneficial process, because phytoplankton is food for many marine species, including krill and fish that live in cold ocean waters.
Source: NASA/MODIS
Tags: eye, ocean, phytoplankton, South Africa, Vortex
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