Villefranche-sur-Mer in stormy weather, winter 2011 - Photo : J.-M. Grisoni
Siphonophores (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Siphonophores Forskalia formosa (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Underwater glider (Photo : David Luquet)
Scientists collecting seawater samples from the rosette (Photo : Stacy Knapp, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Siphonophores - The longest animals on the planet
Cousins of corals, siphonophores are colonies of specialized individuals called zoids. Some catch and digest their prey, others swim, or lay eggs or sperm.
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)
Ptéropode : Ce petit escargot de mer (le ptéropode Limacina helicina) joue un rôle important dans la chaîne alimentaire et le fonctionnement de l'écosystème marin Arctique. Sa coquille calcaire constitue une protection vitale. Or, une étude montre que cet escargot construit sa coquille à une vitesse 30 % plus faible lorsqu'il est maintenu dans une eau de mer ayant les caractéristiques chimiques attendues pour la fin du siècle.© S. Comeau, LOV
Satellite observation (GEOS-12) of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 in the Gulf of Mexico - Source : NASA-NOAA
The seasonal evolution of the chlorophyll a concentration as seen by a « water color » satellite (SeaWifs) in the Atlantic Ocean.
Surface chlorophyll a concentration in the global ocean.
Embryos and larvae
Drifting in the currents, embryos and larvae perpetuate the species and are food for multitudes.
Profiling float (Photo : David Luquet)
Dinoflagellate Ceratium tripos (Photo : Sophie Marro)
Instrumented buoy (Photo : Emilie Diamond)
Dinoflagellate Ceratium azoricum (Photo : Sophie Marro)
Crab Zoea larva (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Diatom genus Cylindrotheca (Photo : Sophie Marro)