Want to know where fish food flourishes? What can we say except, “You're welcome!” With a computer program called MOANA and NASA satellite data, scientists can identify the colorful plant-like organisms that drift in Atlantic Ocean currents. These phytoplankton nourish Earth’s marine life, produce oxygen, absorb carbon, and turn satellite images into vibrant works of art. The first image, taken by NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite on May 16, 2025, shows the natural color of phytoplankton blooming in the nutrient-rich waters off the coast of Namibia. While each individual phytoplankton is microscopic, blooms of billions can be seen swirling in shades of greens and blues from orbit. Different species appear as different colors, and PACE detects the entire spectrum. By putting PACE color data into a computer program called Multi Ordination Analysis – the MOANA of this ocean tale – scientists can create maps where three different types of phytoplankto...