Vue sous-marine d'un groupe de mésocosmes montrant la structure de flottaison en surface (© Stareso)
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)
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)
Foraminifera Ruber (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Siphonophore (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Instrumented buoy (Photo : Emilie Diamond)
Squid larva (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Velella - Planktonic Vessels
Colonies of polyps transported by prevailing winds, velella drift at the surface of warm seas.
Instrumented buoy (Photo : Emilie Diamond)
Dinoflagellés Ceratium massiliense var protuberans (Photo : Sophie Marro)
Coccolithophore (Photo : Sophie Marro)
Villefranche-sur-Mer in stormy weather, winter 2011 - Photo : J.-M. Grisoni
Embryos and larvae
Drifting in the currents, embryos and larvae perpetuate the species and are food for multitudes.
Squid larva (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Dinoflagellate Ceratium paradoxides (Photo : Sophie Marro)
Satellite observation (GEOS-12) of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 in the Gulf of Mexico - Source : NASA-NOAA
Corail profond : Pour un niveau d'acidité prévu pour la fin du siècle, une diminution de construction de son squelette de 50 % a été mesurée chez le corail d'eaux froides Lophelia pertusa. Les communautés coralliennes d'eaux froides abritent un grand nombre d'espèces. Une diminution de la croissance des coraux constructeurs par l'acidification des océans peut menacer l'existence même de ces édifices. © C. Maier, LOV
