Phytoplankton bloom southeast of Greenland
Swirling clouds of phytoplankton bloom in the northern Atlantic Ocean southeast of Greenland. Phytoplankton thrive in cold, nutrient-rich water, and when they multiply in significant numbers, the “clouds” they form can be seen from space, as shown here. This true-color Aqua MODIS image was acquired on July 6, 2003.