If you had to choose one instrument to observe microscopic marine life, would a satellite come to mind? Perhaps not. But when you’re studying the connection between volcanic eruptions and phytoplankton abundance, satellites actually work extremely well.
The Volcanic Blooms project, a collaboration between Bigelow Laboratory and Colby College, is trying to better understand the impacts of volcanic eruptions on phytoplankton communities.
In this video, senior research scientists Karen Stamieszkin and Cath Mitchell explain how they use satellites hundreds of miles up in the sky to understand the role of ash on marine productivity.
