See the blooming waters of the Pacific Ocean from space

Algae blooms are a sign of rapid phytoplankton proliferation. These microscopic sea plants

that drift on or near the surface of the seahim. Excessive algae growth or blooms can become visible to the naked eye and combine to color ocean waters, allowing these tiny organisms to be detected even from space.

Although algal blooms are naturaland an important part of life in the sea, human activity is thought to increase the number of annual blooms. Harmful algal blooms can be caused by environmental factors such as light, warmer water temperatures and excess nutrients.

The ESA satellite image shows highconcentration of algae about 130 km from Hokkaido, Japan's second largest island. The size of this particular algal bloom was over 500 km across and 200 km wide. The photograph shows only a small part of the bloom, about 100 km from north to south and about 110 km from east to west.

During the spring bloom period, nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates are more abundant in surface waters. No direct measurementsin placeit is difficult to determine what kind of algae covers the ocean here.

Phytoplankton play an important role in the food chain, but they also influence the global carbon cycle by absorbing greenhouse gases on a scale equivalent to that of land plants. 

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