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
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
