Sunset for an Algae Bloom

A sediment corer dangles in the evening sun before being lowered to the seafloor in the Gulf of Maine. Researchers from WHOI, NOAA, and several institutions sampled the muck and sand for signs of cysts left behind by the harmful algae Alexandrium as the autumn chilled the waters off New England. The cysts lie dormant in the sediment until springtime conditions are favorable for blooming. (Photo by Linda Ahearn O’Higgins, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)