NASA shares satellite images of phytoplanktons; see pictures here

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently shared images of phytoplanktons in bloom on their social media handle. Phytoplankton is microscopic (tiny plant-like) organisms that stay in watery environments and are comfortable in both salty and freshwater. These Phytoplankton are the foundation of aquatic food webs. From feeding a tiny microscopic creature to multi-tonne whales, these play a major role. Taking to their Instagram handle, the space agency posted a few photos that featured phytoplanktons in turquoise, green, and light blue colour in water. Check out the photos below:

Further in the caption, NASA spoke about the shapes of the phytoplankton blooms that are inspired by the oceans’ complex circulation. These different shapes occur following separate water masses, salt levels and nutrients meet. The caption also described more about phytoplankton that they are plant-like organisms. Meanwhile, these images were captured by Landsat 8, which is an American Earth observation satellite. The first image is of Phytoplankton blooming in the Baltic Sea, the second is from the Gulf of St Lawrence and finally, the third picture is from the Labrador Sea. After these photos went viral, social media users compared these phytoplanktons to the swirls of planet Jupiter while others showed similarities to Dutch painter Van Gogh’s artwork.