Friday, July 31, 2026
Science

A turquoise tint for the Black Sea caused by phytoplankton

The Black Sea sits at the boundary between Europe and Asia and connects to the Mediterranean Sea via a chain of waterways. Its surface often appears dark, but each spring and summer it transforms into a striking expanse of swirling turquoise. The OCI (Ocean Color Instrument) on NASA's PACE (Plankton...

A turquoise tint for the Black Sea caused by phytoplankton
Image: Phys.org
The Black Sea sits at the boundary between Europe and Asia and connects to the Mediterranean Sea via a chain of waterways. Its surface often appears dark, but each spring and summer it transforms into a striking expanse of swirling turquoise. The OCI (Ocean Color Instrument) on NASA's PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite captured this image (above) on June 22, 2026.

Originally published at Phys.org

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