This image taken from the Suomi NPP satellite’s VIIRS instrument of New Zealand was collected on January 9, 2015 when the phytoplankton were blooming particularly to the east of the islands and along the Chatham Rise.
Derived from the Greek words phyto (plant) and plankton (made to wander or drift), phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that live in watery environments, both salty and fresh.
Credit: NASA/Goddard/NPP Larger image
