When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image on December 2, 2015, the waters northeast of the Falkland Islands were awash with color. The swirling greens and blues are densely concentrated phytoplankton growing on the surface of the ocean. These microscopic, plant-like organisms thrive in the cool, nutrient-rich waters off the coast of southern Argentina.

NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response. Caption and image cropping by Adam Voiland.