Phytoplankton also take advantage of nutrients in runoff to bloom along coastlines. Compare the image from March with the one from September. Notice that the September image has more phytoplankton around the Amazon River. That is the end of the rainy season, hence there are more nutrients which ultimately result in more phytoplankton. Satellite Comparisons examines seasonal changes in water temperature and phytoplankton concentration.
Students also enjoy linking together a series of images to examine change over time.
This is a satellite image of water temperature along the east coast of the United States. The Gulf Stream develops in the Straits of Florida and follows the coastline until Cape Hatteras. After the cape, the Gulf Stream travels offshore and heads towards Europe. The rings that form as the Gulf Stream meanders along the coastline are called eddies . Go to our Find Eddy activity for a classroom activity that uses this image.