NPT

Phytoplankton and Coccolithophores in the Bering Sea

Description: The Bering Strait-the stretch of water between Siberia and Alaska-features some of the world's most productive ocean waters. This Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) image from June 26 & 27, 2000, shows phytoplankton covering vast stretches of water. Phytoplankoton are microscopic plants that form the base of the marine food chain.
The green water on the left features a high concentration of phytoplankton. On the right, off the west coast of Alaska, a bloom of a specific type of phytoplankton, coccolithophores, appears bright blue-green. Coccolithophores have white calcium-rich shells that reflect sunlight and brighten the water. The coccolithophore shells-coccoliths-have persisted in the Bering Sea since 1997, but appear to be fading.

Credit:	Provided by the SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE
Satellite:	OrbView-2
Sensor:	SeaWiFS
Data Start Date:	06-26-2000
Data End Date:	06-27-2000
VE Record ID:	671