The whitish area is a patch of bacterial mat, often found in methane seep areas. The bacteria thrive off gases that seep up through the sediment. Image courtesy of Lewis and Clark 2001, NOAA/OER.
The whitish area is a patch of bacterial mat, often found in methane seep areas. The bacteria thrive off gases that seep up through the sediment. Image courtesy of Lewis and Clark 2001, NOAA/OER.