Phytoplankton color the water with a burst of spring growth.
Published May 19, 2012
Phytoplankton and stirred up sediments deliver a splash of spring color to the Black Sea.
Published May 13, 2016
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
Freshened surface water and abundant nutrients lead to an explosion of algae in the inland sea.
Published May 31, 2015
Phytoplankton thrive after an influx of nutrient-rich river water.
Published Jun 12, 2017
Rivers transport nutrient-filled urban and agricultural runoff into this inland sea, promoting phytoplankton blooms.
Published May 27, 2013
Changing conditions in the waters near Alaska promotes late summer phytoplankton growth.
Published Sep 19, 2014
This cloud-free, Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) image of the Black Sea on June 9, 2003, reveals the colorful interplay of currents on the lake’s surface. The green crescent-shaped pattern in the northwestern corner of the Black Sea is due to the nutrient-rich, sediment-laden discharge of the Danube River stimulating biological activity. The brighter, more turquoise patterns on the lake to the south and east are probably blooms of another type of phytoplankton.
Published Jun 10, 2003
Phytoplankton are usually most abundant in this area when spring melting and runoff freshen the water and add nutrients just as sunlight is increasing.
Published May 8, 2018
Phytoplankton swirled across the Arabian Sea on February 18, 2010, drawn into thin green ribbons by turbulent eddies.
Published Mar 8, 2010
Nearly every summer, phytoplankton trace the sea’s currents, eddies, and flows.
Published Aug 19, 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
Phytoplankton and blue-green algae blooms off of Scandinavia seem to be particularly intense this summer.
Published Jul 23, 2018
The waters off of the Alaskan coast usually come alive each spring with colorful swirls of phytoplankton.
Published Jul 14, 2018
Several phytoplankton blooms swirled in the waters of the Caspian Sea.
Published Aug 9, 2017
The brilliant shades of blue and green that fill the waters near the Norwegian shore in this photo-like image are likely phytoplankton.
Published Aug 6, 2009
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