2023 Phytoplankton Blooms and Red Tides

Floating, plant-like organisms reproduce abundantly when there are sufficient nutrients, sunlight, and water conditions. Extreme blooms of certain species can become harmful to marine animals and humans.
Emerald Swirls of Algae in Lake Winnipeg
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Emerald Swirls of Algae in Lake Winnipeg

An influx of nutrients in recent decades has contributed to the proliferation of algae in the large Canadian lake.

Published Oct 5, 2023

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Cloudy Waters in Missisquoi Bay
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Cloudy Waters in Missisquoi Bay

Phosphorus runoff from farmland surrounding Lake Champlain contributes to summer cyanobacteria blooms in the northeastern part of the lake.

Published Sep 8, 2023

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A Bloom in a Changing Barents Sea
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A Bloom in a Changing Barents Sea

A break in the clouds offered a glimpse of phytoplankton north of Norway, Finland, and Russia.

Published Aug 4, 2023

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Vancouver Island’s Colorful Coastline
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Vancouver Island’s Colorful Coastline

Swirls of phytoplankton and sediment brightened the island’s coastal waters in July 2023.

Published Aug 1, 2023

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Algae Bloom in Lake Okeechobee
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Algae Bloom in Lake Okeechobee

Cyanobacteria covered over half of the surface of Florida’s largest freshwater lake in mid-June 2023.

Published Jul 14, 2023

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Phytoplankton Flourish in the North Sea
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Phytoplankton Flourish in the North Sea

Turquoise swirls of phytoplankton developed over the course of two weeks in the shallow sea basin.

Published Jun 21, 2023

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Noctiluca in the North Sea?
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Noctiluca in the North Sea?

These swirling tendrils of phytoplankton might be Noctiluca scintillans—a type of marine dinoflagellate known to inhabit this area.

Published Jun 16, 2023

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Algae in the Andes
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Algae in the Andes

Toxic blooms are becoming more frequent in Chile’s Lake Villarrica.

Published May 19, 2023

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Bloomin’ Atlantic
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Bloomin’ Atlantic

Abundant phytoplankton swirled in the waters off the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast in spring 2023.

Published Apr 27, 2023

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A Massive Seaweed Bloom in the Atlantic
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A Massive Seaweed Bloom in the Atlantic

A belt of seaweed that stretches from the west coast of Africa to the Gulf of Mexico is the largest on record for March.

Published Apr 7, 2023

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Putting the Red in “Red Tide”
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Putting the Red in “Red Tide”

Scientists developed a way to detect the fine-scale features of harmful algae blooms that occur close to beaches and inside small bays.

Published Mar 29, 2023

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