Ocean algae can grow as fast as temperate forests
Satellites now track massive clouds of marine life that rival the biological productivity of the Amazon, transforming the ocean into a shifting map of living chemistry.
When a massive algal bloom erupts off the coast, oceanographers see more than just a patch of green water; they see a temporary, moving field of biochemistry that reshapes the environment for hundreds of kilometers. These blooms are so dense with life that they can fix about one gram of carbon per square meter every day. This rate matches the productivity of a lush temperate forest, yet the algae accomplish this feat in a thin layer of water only a few dozen meters deep. Satellites monitor these events by detecting phycocyanin and other pigments that the algae use to harvest specific wavelengths of sunlight, effectively mapping the planet's pulse in real time.