diatoms Archives - Astrobiology

Images representative of Blood Falls discharge fan and sample types at the TGT

Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine

Molecular Evidence For A Relict Marine Community In An Antarctic Dry Valleys Subglacial Brine-fed System

by Keith CowingAugust 4, 2026August 4, 2026

[Nature] The McMurdo Dry Valleys contain a mosaic of specialized microbial habitats structured by strong physical and chemical gradients.

Bright milky blue ribbons of water are visible along the coast along with patches of brown and green in some areas. Colorful waters swirl off the Mid-Atlantic coast in an image captured by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA's Aqua satellite on May 3, 2026. NASA Earth Observatory/Michala Garrison Larger image

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, Plant Biology, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Orbital Biosignature Assay: Phytoplankton Bloom Off The U.S. Mid-Atlantic Coast

by Keith CowingMay 13, 2026May 13, 2026

Editor’s note: As we begin to study worlds in our own solar system that might have life we use our home world as a testbed for the various ways to […]

This graphic shows the proportion of different types of phytoplankton – diatoms, haptophytes and cryptophytes (from left to right) – as a percentage of the total community according to chlorophyll content. The dotted line is the Antarctic continental shelf break. - larger image -- ESA

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Orbital Planetary Biosphere Tracking: Climate-driven Shift In Antarctic Plankton

by Keith CowingAugust 16, 2025August 16, 2025

Combining 25 years of space-based data with ocean sampling, scientists have uncovered a change in the microscopic organisms that underpin the Southern Ocean’s food chain and carbon storage.

Bloom season, already underway for several months, continued to dazzle in the productive South Atlantic waters off Argentina. Earlier, in austral spring 2024, satellites captured a clear image of a sizeable phytoplankton bloom along the Patagonian Shelf. -- NASA - More imagery and information

Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Ocean World Orbital Biosignature Survey: Phytoplankton In Patagonian Waters

by Keith CowingJanuary 17, 2025June 21, 2026

Editor’s note: when our first missions – human or robotic – arrive at a new world we’ll want to do glean as much information from space – via fly by […]