EcoAlert: Plankton-Powered Ocean Eddy is 150 Kilometers Wide
NASA's Terra satellite spotted a massive ocean eddy last December that had spun off from the Agulhas current. which flows along the south-eastern coast of Africa and around the tip of South Africa.These ocean whirlwinds draw nutrients up from the deep, nourishing blooms of microscopic marine life in what may otherwise be barren pelagic ocean.
As shown in the image, the surrounding water is a lighter blue because of the plankton blooming in the 150-kilometre-wide whorl.
Image credit: NASA's Earth Observatory
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