Image caption
The cloudy light-green area off the coast of Oregon and Washington in this satellite image from NASA Earth Observatory shows a massive bloom of phytoplankton. The right side shows three microscopic views of phytoplankton. Top image courtesy of NOAA MESA Project. Middle image: Wagon wheel diatom, courtesy of Dr. John R. Dolan, Laboratoire d'Oceanographique de Villefranche; Observatoire Oceanologique de Villefrance-sur-Mer. Bottom: Thalassionema nitschioides, live specimen, photographed by Dr. Yaqin "Judy" Li, Milford Laboratory/NEFSC, courtesy of NMFS/NOAA.