Data from the Nimbus-7 Coastal Zone Colour Scanner (CZCS) were analyzed to determine the phytoplankton pigment patterns in the ocean surrounding the Canary Islands. Two different pattterns were observed in this region. One pattern was associated with the influence of the northwest African coastal upwelling system on the ocean surrounding the Canary Islands and the other was associated with individual islands, probably due to the disruptive effect of the Canary Islands on the flow of the Canary Current