Chlorophyll levels in the world's oceans during June
| In the image above, reds and yellows signify large amounts of chlorophyll in the water, while lower levels are shown as blue and purple. Just like on land, chlorophyll is found in plant life. As you can see above, from March through June there is much more red in the northern hemisphere, especially in the northern Atlantic, where it is springtime. This means that there are greater amounts of the phytoplankton plant life in these areas. Just like on land, plants in the ocean grow more during the spring and summer. Compare these areas to the southern hemisphere, where it is fall and winter. Note how productive the arctic seas are - this is the reason that the excess ultraviolet radiation caused by an ozone hole has far-reaching effects. It can kill the ocean plankton, disturbing the food chain. The plankton are also extremely important in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; thus the ozone hole can contribute to global warming by reducing the productivity of the plankton. |
Credit: NASA/GSFC
For more info: http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/CAMPAIGN_DOCS/OCDST/OB_Education.html