Ocean Color Image Gallery

A Complex System

Phytoplankton in the waters off the coast of Mauritania bloom year-long, because of a resurgence of nutrient-rich water being pulled from the depths of the ocean to the surface by the strong trade winds that push surface waters from the African continent towards the west.

Saharan dust, rich in iron, contributes to sustaining the ecosystem. The interactions between aerosols like Saharan dust and plankton are complex and the instruments aboard the

PACE satellite mission, launched on February 8th, 2024, are well poised to help scientists understand these systems better.

This image was captured by the OLI-2 instrument aboard Landsat 8 on February 9, 2024.