Southern Ocean bloom (IMAGE) Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Caption A phytoplankton bloom in the Southern Ocean reflects light back toward a NASA satellite. An international team of scientists recently determined the ocean conditions that support the massive summertime bloom, which spans 16 percent of the global ocean. Credit NASA Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.