Phytoplankton are free floating flora which convert inorganic compounds into complex organic compounds. This process of primary productivity supports the pelagic food-chain (Britannica Online, 1997).

Data Links:

• Chlorophyll-a Data around Japan (Advanced Earth Observing Satellite ADEOS, National space Development Agency of Japan NASDA)
• Ocean Chlorophyll (CZC Biosphere (SeaWiFS)) (Earth Observatory, NASA)
• Phytoplankton Primary Productivity Research (Ocean Color from Oceans and Ice Branch, links to CZCS Images and Data, NASA/GSFC)
• SeaWiFS Project (NASA/GSFC)

Other Links:

• China Harmful Algal Bloom Webpages (Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao)
• Harmful Algae Page (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA)
• Internet Sites of Interest to Phycologists (University of Port Elizabeth)
• Provasoli-Guillard National Center for Culture of Marine Phytoplankton (CCMP, Living stock culture collections for marine phytoplankton. Includes searchable database and ordering and culturing information)

Educational Links:

• Ocean Color (Athena Earth and Space Science for K-12 , Oceans Curriculum)
• What are phytoplankton? (NASA)

PMEL Publications on phytoplankton:

Listed below are direct links to abstracts of PMEL articles relating to phytoplankton beginning 1968 to the present, using PMEL's Publication Information Search Engine:

• phytoplankton - North Pacific Ocean
• phytoplankton - Bering Sea
• phytoplankton - Gulf of Alaska