Plankton
Plankton are a multitude of living organisms adrift in the currents.Our food, our fuel, and the air we breathe originate in plankton.
Larva of decapod crustacean (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Embryos and larvae
Drifting in the currents, embryos and larvae perpetuate the species and are food for multitudes.
Diatom genus Hemiaulus (Photo : Sophie Marro)
Sea Urchin - Planktonic Origins
Barely visible to the naked eye, sea urchin larvae grow and transform into bottom-dwelling urchins.
Annelid worm (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Annelid worm (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
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.
Dinoflagellate Ceratium carriense var volans (Photo : Sophie Marro)
Dinoflagellate Ceratium falcatum (Photo : Sophie Marro)
Carte bathymétrique de la Mer Méditerranée
Cténophores - Orgie de couleurs
Vagues de lumière iridescentes, à l'affût de proies, voici les cténophores.
Siphonophore Forskalia formosa (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
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)
Appendicularia Oikopleura dioica (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Satellite observation (GEOS-12) of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 in the Gulf of Mexico - Source : NASA-NOAA
