Phytoplankton blooms tend to show up in this Gulf in mid-summer and mid-autumn, but they can happen in winter too.
Published Apr 2, 2018
The dynamic colors of ocean phytoplankton blooms reflect a host of dynamic relationships occurring below the water line.
Published Jan 9, 2015
This image shows a colorful bloom of phytoplankton in the Black Sea on June 4, 2008, along the southern coast near the Turkish cities of Sinop and Samsun. The natural-color image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite. Loops and swirls of blooming phytoplankton follow the coastline, while farther out in the open waters (upper right), the blooms become more spread out. The greenish plumes hugging the coast from Sinop westward to just beyond Samsun may be river plumes. River plumes can contain nutrients that stimulate phytoplankton blooms, but they may also contain sediment and organic matter that can color the water.
Published Jun 10, 2008
Phytoplankton and blue-green algae blooms off of Scandinavia seem to be particularly intense this summer.
Published Jul 23, 2018
Phytoplankton swirled across the Arabian Sea on February 18, 2010, drawn into thin green ribbons by turbulent eddies.
Published Mar 8, 2010
Ocean plants color the water of the Great Australian Bight off the shore of Victoria, Australia, in this photo-like Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image, taken by NASA’s Terra satellite on January 11, 2007.
Published Jan 17, 2007
Nearly every summer, phytoplankton trace the sea’s currents, eddies, and flows.
Published Aug 19, 2020
High chlorophyll concentrations indicate the presence of tiny plant-like organisms, called phytoplankton. The plants can both nourish and destroy a marine ecosystem. Phytoplankton are a major source of food for many marine animals, but if they overgrow, the decomposition of so much organic material robs the water of oxygen. Satellite images such as this Aqua MODIS image help monitor phytoplankton concentrations in the world’s oceans.
Published Feb 26, 2005
Phytoplankton explosions off the east and west coasts of the United States have both benign and harmful impacts.
Published Aug 9, 2015
In the summer months, a large portion of the Mississippi River outflow heads southeast into the Gulf of Mexico.
Published Sep 22, 2005
Acquired August 9, 2010, this natural-color image shows peacock-blue swirls in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Newfoundland.
Published Aug 11, 2010
