2021 Northern Hemisphere Ocean Blooms

Increased sunlight, nutrient runoff, and wind-driven upwelling can create ideal conditions for massive blooms of floating plant-like phytoplankton.
Late Bloomers in the Arctic
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Late Bloomers in the Arctic

Not everything in the far north appears ready to hibernate for the winter.

Published Oct 19, 2021

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Summer Color in Northern Seas
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Summer Color in Northern Seas

The summer season is a prime time to observe colorful displays of phytoplankton in the Labrador and Barents seas.

Published Aug 20, 2021

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Beauty in the Barents
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Beauty in the Barents

There are a few possible reasons why the phytoplankton-rich waters of this high-latitude sea appear both green and turquoise blue.

Published Jul 23, 2021

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Algae Abound Along Florida Coast
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Algae Abound Along Florida Coast

Tampa Bay is teeming with Karenia brevis months before it usually blooms.

Published Jul 17, 2021

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The Blooming Gulf of St. Lawrence
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The Blooming Gulf of St. Lawrence

When conditions are right, microscopic plant-like organisms called phytoplankton reproduce abundantly and create colorful patterns on the ocean surface that satellites can observe from space.

Published Jul 14, 2021

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Lake Erie Astir
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Lake Erie Astir

Rich in quartz, limestone, and algae, the Great Lake is also rich with seasonal color.

Published May 21, 2021

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The Blooming Mid-Atlantic
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The Blooming Mid-Atlantic

A May phytoplankton bloom left its mark on coastal waters.

Published May 19, 2021

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Hiding in Plain Sight
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Hiding in Plain Sight

Springtime ocean conditions promote North Atlantic blooms, but you wouldn't know that from looking with human eyes.

Published Apr 9, 2021

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