The most interesting art often arises from the convergence of
different ideas and influences. And so it is with nature
sometimes. Off the coast of Argentina, two strong ocean currents
recently stirred up a colorful brew of floating nutrients and
microscopic plant life just in time for the summer solstice. The
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s
Aqua satellite captured this image of a massive phytoplankton
bloom off of the Atlantic coast of Patagonia on December 21,
2010. Scientists used seven separate different spectral bands to
highlight the differences in the plankton communities across
this swath of ocean. This milky green and blue bloom developed
on the continental shelf off of Patagonia, where warmer, saltier
coastal waters and currents from the subtropics meet the colder,
fresher waters flowing up from the south. Where these currents
collide—known to oceanographers as a shelf-break front—turbulent
eddies and swirls form, pulling nutrients up from the deep
ocean. Also, the nea