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.

The Plankton Chronicles series is produced by Noé Sardet, Sharif Mirshak (Parafilms) and Christian Sardet (CNRS) as part of Tara Oceans Expedition and Oceanographic Observatory of Villefranche-sur-Mer (CNRS / UPMC). Fundings by CNRS (INSB / INEE) and by the IBISA program are acknowledged.

BACK

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)