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Coccolithophore Bloom


Milky blue water in this satellite view of Prince of Wales Island, AK is thought to be caused by a bloom of non-toxic phytoplankton known as coccolithophores.
Credit: NASA. Download this image (JPG, 146 KB).
[02-Aug-18] This satellite image shows milky blue water near Prince of Wales Island, AK. The coloration is thought to be caused by a bloom of non-toxic phytoplankton known as coccolithophores (likely Emiliania huxleyi). Coccolithophores have mineral plates made out of limestone, so they have a chalky appearance when seen from space. This image was acquired on July 21 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the NASA Terra satellite.