June 1, 2021 - Bloom in the Bass Strait

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   Bloom of Australia/Tanzania
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   A large stain of milky-blue colored the waters of the Bass Strait north
   of Tasmania and south of Australia in late May 2021. The Moderate
   Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua
   satellite acquired a true-color image of the scene on May 22.

   The colorful water was caused by a large bloom of
   phytoplankton—microscopic plant-like organisms that live in these
   waters year-round in relatively small numbers. When conditions are
   right (enough nutrients, sunlight, and adequate water temperature),
   phytoplankton begin to reproduce explosively, sometimes creating a
   large floating mass that can be seen from space.

   There are many species of phytoplankton, each containing chlorophyll
   which is used in the presence to convert water and carbon dioxide into
   energy. Some species also contain other pigments or features that may
   create characteristic colors when massed into a floating bloom. The
   milky color of this particular bloom suggests that it is created by
   coccolithophores, which are a type of phytoplankton that surround
   themselves with calcite scales. Each tiny chalk-colored scale is only
   three one-thousandths of a millimeter in diameter, yet the milky bloom
   stretches at least 117 km (73 miles) wide and 160 km (100 mi) long.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Aqua
   Date Acquired: 5/22/2021
   Resolutions:  1km (469.3 KB),  500m (1.1 MB),  250m (2.7 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=2021-06-01
 
