Stunning phytoplankton bloom in the Barents Sea - Earth.com

Stunning phytoplankton bloom in the Barents Sea

Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory shows a brightly colored phytoplankton bloom in the Barents Sea.

According to NASA, the bloom has been putting on a stunning display since mid-July. The colors indicate the the bloom is composed of coccolithophores. These phytoplankton are covered in chalky calcite plates that are highly reflective.

The image of the Barents Sea was captured on August 9, 2021 by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP satellite.

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

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