Average chlorophyll concentration in the surface ocean (from mi-September 1997 to August 2007) from the ocean color sensor SeaWiFS (NASA). Subtropical gyres, in the center of the oceanic basins, are characterized by very low concentrations of chlorophyll a (dark blue) - Source : NASA's Earth Observatory (http:/earthobservatory.nasa.gov)
Velella - Planktonic Vessels Colonies of polyps transported by prevailing winds, velella drift at the surface of warm seas.
Ctenaria Beroe ovata(Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Elephant seal equipped with a sensor
Mollusk (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
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)
Dinoflagellate Ceratium paradoxides (Photo : Sophie Marro)