NASA MODIS Image of the Day: November 11, 2011 – Phytoplankton bloom off South Island, New Zealand
Swirls of turquoise and green lit up the Tasman Sea off the coast of South Island, New Zealand on November 9, 2011.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Terra satellite passed over the region and captured this true-color image on that same day.
The spectacular colors are the result of a bloom of phytoplankton, small single cell, plant-like organisms which grow explosively when the combination of nutrients, warming water, and sunlight are right. November is springtime in New Zealand, with lengthening periods of light, and the waters in this area are fed by melting glaciers and moving currents, making conditions perfect for phytoplankton growth. The varieties of colors come from chlorophyll and other pigments contained in the different species of phytoplankton, as well as the depth at which the organisms are found. Each of these factors affect the characteristics of the light reflected from the phytoplankton and the way the colors look from space. The chalky-white plating of the coccolithophores, in particular, is very reflective, and often causes a milky tone, such as the milky turquoise swirls in this bloom.
