June 27, 2023 - Bloom in the Black Sea

Bloom
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The dark water of the Black Sea was tinted with swirls of light blue in
late June 2023. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
(MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of
the colorful scene on June 24.

The bright colors are the result of a widespread bloom of
phytoplankton—microscopic plant-like organisms that float near the
surface of the water year-round in relatively small numbers. When water
temperature, sunlight length, and nutrient load are favorable,
phytoplankton can reproduce explosively and create large floating
colonies that can be seen from space.

The water of the Black Sea is enriched by nutrients carried in by the
Danube, Dnieper, Dniester, Don and other rivers, creating fertile
territory for the growth of phytoplankton. These microscopic algae,
bacteria, and protists use chlorophyll to make their own food from
sunlight and dissolved nutrients and are considered the “primary
producers” of the seas and oceans. More than 150 different types of
phytoplankton have been observed in the Black Sea over the years, and
they support a rich bounty of fish and other marine organisms found
here. On the other hand, an over abundance of these organisms can
deplete oxygen dissolved in the water and cause stress to the other
marine life that lives in the Black Sea.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 6/24/2023
Resolutions: 1km (1008.6 KB), 500m (2.8 MB), 250m (7.8 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-06-27

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