High Seas Journey to the Costa Rica Thermal Dome
In March of 2017, I joined MarViva on an expedition to the Costa Rica Thermal Dome Hope Spot, an open-ocean phenomenon that forms every spring between 150 and 300 miles off the western coast of Costa Rica. One of the world’s highest concentrations of phytoplankton and primary productivity rates occurs in the Dome, making the area a preferred habitat for endangered, emblematic species like the blue whale and leatherback turtle. In addition to acting as a significant carbon sink, the Dome serves as a breeding ground, feeding place and migratory corridor for sharks, multiple cetaceans, sea turtles, large pelagic fish, marine predators, and seabirds
