The mingling of cool, nutrient - rich waters
from the north with warm currents
from the south
form a dynamic transition zone that is home to a myriad of sea
life from microscopic plankton to blue whales.
Phytoplankton, which
live close enough to the water's surface to perform photosynthesis — critical to maintaining oxygen in Earth's atmosphere —
form the base of the marine food web.4 Although phytoplankton are
microscopic, they can be seen
from satellites when they grow in a concentrated area (bloom) on the ocean's surface.5 Zooplankton, which feed on phytoplankton, and bacterioplankton, which recycle nutrients in the water, make up the next levels of the web.4