South Atlantic Reveals Massive Phytoplankton Bloom

Officials at the European Space Agency (ESA) have just released this amazing new image of a huge phytoplankton bloom in the Southern Atlantic Ocean. The photograph was compiled from data sent to Earth by the organization's flagship satellite, Envisat.

To me, it looks very much like a very beautiful drawing, especially from this angle. However, if you spin the image clockwise, you get an even more amazing effect, since the bloom will then resemble an infinity symbol.

Such oceanic formations are made up of microscopic, water-dwelling organisms called phytoplankton, which play a tremendously important role in circulating nutrients through the ocean. They are also responsible for much of the seas' ability to store carbon dioxide.

This particular image of the splendid bloom was acquired by the MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) experiment, one of the primary instruments on Envisat. The spacecraft collected the photo on December 2, 2011, at a resolution level of 300 meters per pixel.