The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission showed algae growing in the Minch off the coast of Japan. The photograph was taken by a European Space Agency (ESA) satellite.
Algae bloom is a sign of rapid growth of phytoplankton. These are microscopic marine plants that move on or near the sea surface. Growth or growth of algae can be seen to the naked eye and together the waters of the ocean, allowing these tiny organisms to be detected even from space.
Although algal blooms are a natural and important part of marine life, human activity is believed to increase the number of annual blooms. Harmful algal blooms can be caused by environmental factors such as light, higher water temperatures, and excessive nutrition.
The ESA satellite image shows the high density of algae about 130 km from Hokkaido, the second largest island in Japan. The size of this special algal flower was over 500 km across and 200 km wide. The image only shows a small part of the bloom, about 100 km from north to south and about 110 km from east to west.
During the spring flowering period, nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates are abundant in surface waters. Without a direct measurement of the site, it is difficult to determine which algae cover the ocean here.
Phytoplankton play an important role in the food chain, but they also affect the global carbon cycle by absorbing greenhouse gases on a scale equivalent to terrestrial plants.
