* Astronomy

Millions of tiny ocean plants ring the Falkland Islands in this photo-like image taken by NASAs Terra satellite on January 13, 2008. The surface-dwelling plants (called phytoplankton) reflect light, colouring the ocean with whimsical swirls of blue and green. The bloom traces the course of the Malvinas (Falkland) Current, which sweeps north around the Falkland Islands and along the east coast of South America. A branch of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the strong current is cold and laden with nutrients. Because the current brings nutrients into the sunlit surface waters where plants can grow, the Malvinas Current often feeds large blooms such as this one.


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Credit NASA