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   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   May 27, 2022 - Color in the Black Sea   
      
      Black Sea   
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      The dark waters of the Black Sea were colored with swirls of teal and   
      turquoise on May 26, 2022, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging   
      Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a   
      true-color image of the scene.   
      
      The jewel-toned colors are caused by large blooms of phytoplankton,   
      which are microscopic plant-like organisms that live in these waters   
      year-round in small numbers. When conditions are right—enough   
      nutrients, adequate sunlight, and favorable water temperature—the   
      organisms can begin to reproduce explosively, creating large blooms   
      (floating colonies) that can easily be seen from space. Puffs of white   
      in the western section of the image comes from thin cloud over the dark   
      waters.   
      
      The waters of the Black Sea host phytoplankton blooms frequently,   
      especially in the spring and summer. The waters of the Black Sea are   
      particularly favorable for growth of these organisms, thanks to the   
      water dynamics. Many of Europe’s largest rivers, including the Danube,   
      the Dnister, and the Dnipro (also called Dnieper) dump fresh water,   
      along with fertilizers, sediment, and runoff, into the Black Sea. The   
      Sea also receives some salty water through the narrow Bosporus Strait,   
      which connects it to the Mediterranean Sea through the Sea of Marmara.   
      Because salty water is denser than fresh water, it sinks to the bottom,   
      leaving a layer of relatively fresh water on top. The two layers mix   
      very little, leaving the fresh, nutrient-rich layer filled with   
      phytoplankton in the top 150 meters or so, creating a near-perfect   
      environment for phytoplankton reproduction during much of the year.   
      
      Phytoplankton are the “primary producers” of the seas and oceans. These   
      plant-like, microscopic algae, bacteria, and protists use chlorophyll   
      to make their own food from sunlight and dissolved nutrients. More than   
      150 different types of phytoplankton have been observed in the Black   
      Sea over the years, and they have supported a rich bounty of fish and   
      other marine organisms.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Aqua   
      Date Acquired: 5/26/2022   
      Resolutions:  1km (616.3 KB),  500m (1.6 MB),  250m (1010.3   
      KB)   
      Bands Used: 1,4,3   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-05-27   
       
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