Data acquired April 7 - 7, 2002
450 x 600
107 KB - JPEG
A large bloom of phytoplankton off the coast of New Zealand is visible in this true-color MODIS image acquired April 7, 2002. Phytoplankton is a microscopic marine organism that uses chlorophyll for photosynthesis. Sunlight reflects off of the organisms and results in a bright blue-green color.
Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
Published April 18, 2002
Data acquired April 7 - 7, 2002