A satellite image, with eddies clearly visible, shows chlorophyll concentration in the North Atlantic during the spring phytoplankton bloom. The microscopic plants use sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow and reproduce at the ocean’s surface. When the plants die, or are consumed by marine animals, some of their organic matter is transferred to the deep ocean, removing it from the atmosphere for years to come. (Courtesy of Bror Jonsson, Princeton University, and MODIS satellite data, NASA)

Full resolution (350 × 421)
A satellite image, with eddies clearly visible, shows chlorophyll concentration in the North Atlantic during the spring phytoplankton bloom. The microscopic plants use sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow and reproduce at the ocean's surface. When the plants die, or are consumed by marine animals, some of their organic matter is transferred to the deep ocean, removing it from the atmosphere for years to come. (Courtesy of Bror Jonsson, Princeton University, and MODIS satellite data, NASA)