Photo of the Week

We are excited to bring back our Photo of the Week section so stay tuned for new content coming soon! In the meantime, take a look at these fantastic pictures from our teachers.

Just what IS “plankton,” anyway? Does this small swimming crab count?

February 27, 2017
TAS ’15 DJ Kast found this swimming crab in a plankton sample collected off the mid-Atlantic bight.

Photo: DJ Kast

What are plankton? Plankton is a Greek-based word that means drifter or wanderer. This suits these organisms well since they are not able to withstand the current and are constantly adrift. Plankton are usually divided by size (pico, nano, micro, meso, macro, mega). In the plankton tows, we are primarily focused on the macro, meso and megaplankton that are usually with in the size range of 0.2- 20 mm (meso), 2-20 cm (macro), and above 20 cm (mega) respectively.
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12 photos for Atlantic · Clear

Rays in the SunSeptember 23, 2019Sunset over NOAA Ship PiscesAugust 19, 2019Sometimes, a Fluke is just a FlukeJune 12, 2017A Varied Scallop PaletteMay 15, 2017Just what IS “plankton,” anyway? Does this small swimming crab count?February 27, 2017Just what IS “plankton,” anyway? Does this small swimming crab count?February 27, 2017Looking back! One year ago today…August 8, 2016Yesterday was the first day of Spring! Many animal species are on the move for spring migrations.March 21, 2016An anchor ball is hoisted in the forepart of a vessel to signal that it is anchored.August 24, 2015“Ocean pout– eats sand dollars”July 21, 2014“Following each seafloor dredge tow, the science and engineering teams work to shuck the largest of the scallops for closer analysis.”July 8, 2013“Following each seafloor dredge tow, the science and engineering teams work to shuck the largest of the scallops for closer analysis.”July 8, 2013