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)
Copepode Sapphirina iris (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Colony of dinoflagellates Ceratium hexacanthum. In the video, one can observe the movement of the flagella. (Video : Sophie Marro)
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.
Dinoflagellate Ceratium candelabrum var depressum (Photo : Sophie Marro)
Instrumented buoy (Photo : David Luquet)
Embryos and larvae
Drifting in the currents, embryos and larvae perpetuate the species and are food for multitudes.
Dinoflagellate Ceratium arietinum var arietinum (Photo : Sophie Marro)
Instrumented buoy (Photo : David Luquet)
Les mésocosmes attirent les poissons ! (© Stareso)
Cténophores - Orgie de couleurs
Vagues de lumière iridescentes, à l'affût de proies, voici les cténophores.
Siphonophores (Photo : Fabien Lombard)
Profiling float (Photo : David Luquet)
Dinoflagellate Ceratium gravidum (Photo : Sophie Marro)
Les mésocosmes déployés dans la rade de Villefranche (© L. Maugendre, LOV)
Deployment of a profiling float (Photo : Jean-Jacques Pangrazi)
Prélèvements d'eau des mésocosmes pour analyses, lors de l'expérience menée en Corse en juin/juillet 2012 (© A. Ree, PML)
Rosette used to collect seawater samples during a scientific cruise in the South Pacific Ocean. During the austral summer, the amount of chlorophyll a is so low that the water becomes deep blue, almost purple. (Photo : Joséphine Ras)
