This globe shows the mean surface chlorophyll-a from 1997 to 2025, measured by satellites. Chlorophyll tracks phytoplankton, the microscopic algae that carry out roughly half of the photosynthesis on Earth.

The surface is deformed to make the pattern easier to read: waters richer than the global average rise outward, poorer waters sink inward. It is a visual device, not real topography.

What stands out:

🔵 The sunken blue basins in the middle of every ocean. These are the subtropical gyres, the largest biological deserts on the planet.

🌊🌱 28 years of a living ocean, month by month

This is ocean surface chlorophyll from September 1997 to December 2025, seen from space. Chlorophyll is the pigment of phytoplankton: microscopic algae responsible for roughly half of the photosynthesis on the planet and the base of almost all marine life.

What to look for:

🔵 The great blue deserts in the middle of the oceans. These are the subtropical gyres, crystal-clear, nutrient-poor waters where very little grows.