Plankton bloom in the Barents Sea as seen by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on the Aqua satellite. Norway is seen at the bottom left in the image. The bright aquamarine hues suggest that this is likely a coccolithophore bloom. A coccolithophore is a tiny, surface-dwelling ocean plant that is coated with microscopic limestone (calcite) scales. This white coating makes the plant highly reflective. It reflects back nearly all of the light that hits it, and it is this reflected light that gives the ocean the radiant blue color seen in this image. Coccolithophores flourish in nutrient-poor, sub-polar waters. Like other types of microscopic ocean plants (phytoplankton), coccolithophores are an important food source for fish and other marine animals. Coccolithophore blooms occur when large numbers of the plants grow in one place.