APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
A White Battle in the Black Sea
Explanation: Trillions have died in the Earth's seas. Calcified shields of the dead already make up the white cliffs of Dover . The battle between ball-shaped light-colored single-celled plants -- phytoplankton called coccolithophores -- and even smaller, diamond-shaped viruses dubbed coccolithoviruses -- has raged for tens of millions of years. To help fight this battle , the coccolithophores create their chalky armor by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This battle is so epic that coccolithophores actually remove a significant fraction of Earth's atmospheric carbon dioxide , bolstering the breathability of air for animals including humans . Pictured in this 2012 image from NASA's Aqua satellite , the Black Sea was turned light blue by coccolithophore blooms .
Explore the Universe: Random APOD Generator
| Date | April 24, 2017 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Image Credit: NASA , Aqua , MODIS |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |