Phytoplankton and stirred up sediments deliver a splash of spring color to the Black Sea.
Published May 13, 2016
Rivers transport nutrient-filled urban and agricultural runoff into this inland sea, promoting phytoplankton blooms.
Published May 27, 2013
Phytoplankton color the water with a burst of spring growth.
Published May 19, 2012
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
In spring and summer, conditions are often just right for populations of the plant-like organisms explode into enormous blooms.
Published Jan 8, 2021
In July 2016, phytoplankton in the Barents Sea turned the surface waters milky blue.
Published Jul 6, 2016
Freshened surface water and abundant nutrients lead to an explosion of algae in the inland sea.
Published May 31, 2015
Phytoplankton and sediment produced a vivid display in this relatively shallow sea between Great Britain and northern Europe.
Published Apr 9, 2020
In this natural-color image from August 31, 2010, a large phytoplankton bloom colors the Barents Sea turquoise, teal, navy, and green.
Published Sep 5, 2010
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