Rosette used to collect seawater samples during a scientific cruise in the South Pacific Ocean. During the austral summer, the amount of chlorophyll a is so low that the water becomes deep blue, almost purple. (Photo : Joséphine Ras)
Seasonal evolution of the chlorophyll a concentration as obtained by the ocean color sensor SeaWiFS in the Atlantic Ocean.
Ceratium - Capter la lumière avec ses doigts
Ceratium appartient à l'immense groupe des dinoflagellés.
Siphonophores Forskalia formosa (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Copepode Sapphirina iris (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Velella - Planktonic Vessels
Colonies of polyps transported by prevailing winds, velella drift at the surface of warm seas.
Acantharia (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Rosette used to collect seawater samples during a scientific cruise in the South Pacific Ocean. (Photo : Joséphine Ras)
Diatom genus Coscinodiscus (Photo : Sophie Marro)
Dinoflagellate Ceratium fusus (Photo : Sophie Marro)
Phytoplankton bloom observed in the Barents Sea (North of Norway) in August 2010 by the ocean color sensor MODIS onboard NASA satellite Aqua. Changes in ocean color result from modifications in the phytoplankton composition and concentration. The green colors are likely associated with the presence of diatoms. The shades of light blue result from the occurrence of coccolithophores, phytoplankton organisms that strongly reflect light due to their chalky shells - Source : NASA's Earth Observatory (http:/earthobservatory.nasa.gov)
Surface chlorophyll a concentration in the global ocean.
Tunicata Pyrosoma (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Mollusk (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Embryos and larvae
Drifting in the currents, embryos and larvae perpetuate the species and are food for multitudes.
The research vessel "James COOK"
