November 26, 2014 - Phytoplankton blooms along the Namiban coast

Phytoplankton blooms along the Namiban coast

The waters off the coast of Namibia are a mixing bowl of nutrient-rich waters, where conditions are often perfect for the rapid growth of the plant-like organisms known as phytoplankton. Although these chlorophyll-containing organisms are individually tiny, vigorous blooms can cover hundreds of miles. While individual phytoplankton live only briefly, blooms may endure for weeks. A single bloom is best viewed via a microscope; a vigorous bloom can be easily viewed from space.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) captured this true-color image of spectacular phytoplankton blooms staining the waters off the coast of Namibia on November 19, 2014. Milky blue colors rim the coastline, while further out to sea the blooms appear in swirls of turquoise, deeper blues and greens.

The stained waters roughly mark the area where Benguela Current flows along the ocean surface. It moves north and west along the coast from South Africa and is enriched by iron and other nutrients from the Southern Ocean and from dust blowing off African coastal deserts. Easterly winds push surface waters offshore and promote upwelling near the coast, which brings up cold, nutrient-rich waters from the deeper ocean. These interactions can make the ocean burst forth with color, as seen in this image.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 11/19/2014
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC