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	Coverage of this dataset spans September 1997 to June 2006.
	The animation features of the Earth Observatory are currently unavailable. We apologize for the inconvenience. To view the full temporal span of this dataset, please view the Biosphere monthly holdings.

Product description: Plants on land and in the ocean (phytoplankton) contain chlorophyll, a green pigment they use during photosynthesis. Using satellite sensors, we can measure chlorophyll concentrations on land as well as in oceans, lakes and seas to indicate the distribution and abundance of vegetation. Since most animal life relies on vegetation for nutrition, directly or indirectly, scientists refer to these images as snapshots of Earth's biosphere. (Data from SeaWiFS Project)

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