Satellite imagery of microscopic life in the seas around Scotland could boost understanding of the world's second largest fish, a new report suggests.
In a Scottish first, maps have been produced to show phytoplankton blooms and plumes of sediment off various parts of the coast.
Phytoplankton and certain sediments provide food and nutrients for animals.
These include huge basking sharks, as well as smaller fish which provide prey for seals and seabirds.
In the study commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), scientists said mapping techniques could offer additional information on the behaviour of satellite-tagged sharks and birds.
For the study, researchers processed more than 6,000 ocean colour scenes taken by the European Space Agency's Envisat satellite from 2009 to 2011.
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