Iridescent colors decorate the South Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Argentina. Though hundreds of kilometers in length, these bright bands of color were formed by miniscule objects—tiny surface-dwelling ocean plants known as phytoplankton. They thrive in the ocean off the Argentine coast, thanks to the waters’ cool temperature and richness in nutrients. In this area the Malvinas Current (or Falkland Current) sweeps northward along the continental shelf, bringing with it cold water from the Southern Ocean. The action of the current pulls up from the ocean floor nutrients that promote phytoplankton growth. December 24, 2007.