which are dense aggregations of microscopic single-celled phytoplankton, can span hundreds of kilometers across the ocean's surface, and are visible from space using satellites. These huge blooms ...

But it provides little insight into what the algal bloom is doing in the space surrounding that vertical line. That's why ...

The ability to track phytoplankton has largely depended on space satellites observing the sea surface. Yet, phytoplankton can grow below the surface where satellites cannot detect them ...

including Barents Sea plankton and bacteria from Madagascar, in swabs taken from the surface of the International Space Station (ISS). As part of the "Test" experiment, Russian cosmonauts took a ...

Phytoplankton, tiny plant-like organisms in the ocean, are incredibly important for life on Earth. They're a major food source for many sea creatures and produce almost half the oxygen we breathe.

By contrast, a plankton net or a water sampler works almost ... But it provides little insight into what the algal bloom is doing in the space surrounding that vertical line.