Life's Signature Colors, Captured by Satellite

Even with intensely urbanized areas stretching millions of square miles, The Americas show strong bioproductivity, with wide areas of green.

Terrestrial bioproductivity shows strong green signals, highlighted here by the contrast between the Himalays and South East Asia.

The wide East-West expanse of Saharan sand sits like a lifeless cap above the verdant green of wet, central Africa.

Compiled from nearly twenty years of SeaWiFS data, this remarkable sequence shows the yearly advance and retreat of life in the oceans.

Narrated, with music. In this video we explore the importance and dramatic influence of Earth's humblest life form: phytoplankton.