29. Comma clouds and a phytoplankton bloom

The water’s not always icy in the Gulf of Alaska. In springtime, sunlight and added nutrients make it perfect for phytoplankton blooms which feed on the rays and multiply. In this 2014 image, you can see the undersea clouds of microscopic organisms – they make up the dark green water just off the state’s coast. The overhead comma-shaped clouds don’t have anything to do with the blooms, but they were low-pressure systems that might’ve devolved into cyclone-style wind circulation.