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April 13, 2023 - Spring Bloom off the East Coast of the United States
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Patches of greens and blues colored the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the Mid-Atlantic United States in mid-April 2023.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image that stretched from Connecticut (north) to Maryland (south) on April 10. Tan-colored sediment sits in the Long Island Sound south of Connecticut and in the Delaware Bay, while swirls of color more typical of phytoplankton float in the dark blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The largest and most obvious phytoplankton bloom sits off the coast of New Jersey, not far from the Delaware Bay.
Phytoplankton are microscopic plant-like organisms that live in the Atlantic Ocean year-round. When conditions are right—favorable water temperatures, enough sunlight, and abundant nutrients—these organisms can reproduce explosively, creating blooms large enough to be visible from space for days or even weeks. Blooms occur frequently off the Mid-Atlantic states, usually in spring or summer.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 4/10/2023
Resolutions:
1km (212 KB), 500m (498 KB), 250m (911.2 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Patches of greens and blues colored the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the Mid-Atlantic United States in mid-April 2023.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image that stretched from Connecticut (north) to Maryland (south) on April 10. Tan-colored sediment sits in the Long Island Sound south of Connecticut and in the Delaware Bay, while swirls of color more typical of phytoplankton float in the dark blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The largest and most obvious phytoplankton bloom sits off the coast of New Jersey, not far from the Delaware Bay.
Phytoplankton are microscopic plant-like organisms that live in the Atlantic Ocean year-round. When conditions are right—favorable water temperatures, enough sunlight, and abundant nutrients—these organisms can reproduce explosively, creating blooms large enough to be visible from space for days or even weeks. Blooms occur frequently off the Mid-Atlantic states, usually in spring or summer.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 4/10/2023
Resolutions:
1km (212 KB), 500m (498 KB), 250m (911.2 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
