Diatoms - Life in glass houses Champions of photosynthesis, these unicellular organisms appeared at the time of dinosaurs.They produce a quarter of the oxygen we breathe.
Embryos and larvae Drifting in the currents, embryos and larvae perpetuate the species and are food for multitudes.
Diatom species Odontella mobiliensis(Photo : Sophie Marro)
Rosette used to collect seawater samples during a scientific cruise in the South Pacific Ocean. Duringthe austral summer,the amount of chlorophyllais so low thatthe water becomesdeepblue,almostpurple. (Photo : Joséphine Ras)
Dinoflagellate Ceratium praelongum (Photo : Sophie Marro)
Dinoflagellate Ceratium azoricum (Photo : Sophie Marro)
Phytoplankton bloom observed by the ocean color sensor MODIS onboard NASA satellite Terra in May 2010. The bloom spreads broadly in the North Atlantic from Iceland to the Bay of Biscay - Source : NASA's Earth Observatory (http:/earthobservatory.nasa.gov)
