The not so Black Sea.
This image taken by NASA’s Aqua MODIS, shows a phytoplankton bloom in the Black Sea on July 15th 2012.
Phytoplankton, derived from the Greek words phyto (plant) and plankton (made to wander or drift), are microscopic organisms that live in watery environments, both salty and fresh. Some phytoplankton are bacteria, some are protists, and most are single-celled. Among the common kinds are: cyanobacteria, silica-encased diatoms, dinoflagellates, green algae, and chalk-coated coccolithophores.
The colours of the blooms are typically derived from the pigments in the phytoplankton, which use chlorophyll for photosynthesis. Some of the colour is also attributable to the minerals in the fine shells of these organisms. Coccolithophores, for example, produce a calcite shell that can give the water a milky appearance as in this image.
-Jean.
Photo courtesy of NASA (good to have them back)
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