Phytoplankton and stirred up sediments deliver a splash of spring color to the Black Sea.
Published May 13, 2016
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
Phytoplankton thrive after an influx of nutrient-rich river water.
Published Jun 12, 2017
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
Freshened surface water and abundant nutrients lead to an explosion of algae in the inland sea.
Published May 31, 2015
Nearly every summer, phytoplankton trace the sea’s currents, eddies, and flows.
Published Aug 19, 2020
In July 2016, phytoplankton in the Barents Sea turned the surface waters milky blue.
Published Jul 6, 2016
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
