Emiliana Huxleyi is a species of single-celled planktonic algae. Named after Thomas Huxley, it is the globally most significant coccolithophore. Its coccoliths are pure white, so they reflect light very efficiently in the water column. This, and the high concentrations caused by continual shedding of their coccoliths makes Emiliana Huxleyi blooms easily visible from space. Satellite images show that blooms can cover large areas (possibly >100,000 square kilometers1), with complimentary shipboard measurements indicating that Emiliana Huxleyi is by far the dominant phytoplankton species under these conditions.
