Start Date: End Date: Published Date Data Date
Data acquired November 17, 2016 720 x 480 JPEG
Data acquired November 17, 2016 6112 x 6112 11 MB - JPEG
When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this natural-color satellite image on November 17, 2016, phytoplankton swirled off the coast of Australia. The bloom gave parts of the Tasman Sea a lighter shade of blue. Like land-based plants, phytoplankton require sunlight, water, and nutrients to grow.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Joshua Stevens, using MODIS data from LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response. Caption by Adam Voiland.
Published November 18, 2016 Data acquired November 17, 2016