Tag

Phytoplankton

All articles tagged with #phytoplankton

environment3 days ago•56 min saved

Arctic sea-ice melt triggers nutrient tipping point, threatening the food web

New research shows that rapid Arctic sea-ice loss since 2009 reduced nitrate in the Arctic Ocean via denitrification, limiting the nutrients needed for phytoplankton growth. As more light promotes phytoplankton proliferation, the nitrate pool shrinks, shifting communities toward smaller phytoplankton and weakening energy transfer up the food web, potentially impacting fisheries and carbon sequestration. Recovery of nitrate would be slow even if sea ice rebounds, making nitrate a key driver of future Arctic productivity and climate projections.

via Live Science|

#arctic #denitrification #environment

science26 days ago•2 min saved

Color-Splashed Seas Signal Spring Phytoplankton Bloom, NASA Images Show

NASA satellite imagery detects green and turquoise plumes off the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast, likely caused by a mix of sediments, river outflows, and phytoplankton blooms (diatoms and coccolithophores). The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission helps scientists monitor ocean health and carbon cycling, with blooms that can affect light penetration and will usually wane as nutrients are depleted unless replenished by storms or rivers.

via Futurism|

#coastal-waters #mid-atlantic-bight #ocean-color

science27 days ago•4 min saved

Giant East Coast Algal Bloom Visible From Space, NASA Reports

NASA satellites have detected a massive blue-green algal bloom along the U.S. East Coast (New Jersey to Virginia) that has grown since mid-April and is visible from space. The bloom is driven by river outflows, spring storms, and dense phytoplankton populations, and scientists are using MODIS imagery and the PACE mission to monitor its composition and spread. There are no signs of toxicity at present, and experts expect the bloom to fade in coming weeks unless nutrients persist.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#algal-bloom #modis #nasa

earth-science1 month ago•5 min saved

Colorful Coastal Waters Signal Spring Phytoplankton Blooms Off the Mid-Atlantic

NASA's Earth Observatory used MODIS imagery to show vivid greens and turquoises off the Delaware–New Jersey–Virginia coast, where spring phytoplankton blooms—dominated by diatoms with coccolithophores mixed in—color the shallow Mid-Atlantic Bight; advances from the PACE mission are improving bloom detection in these optically complex coastal waters.

via NASA Science (.gov)|

#coccolithophores #diatoms #earth-science

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Giant Turquoise Ring of Phytoplankton Traced to Ocean Floor Topography Near Chatham Islands

NASA’s Earth Observatory captured a giant turquoise ring off the Chatham Islands in January 2026, a massive coccolithophore phytoplankton bloom shaped by the Chatham Rise seafloor topography and surface currents; satellites (NOAA-20 VIIRS) track such events over wide areas, while no direct water sampling was performed, highlighting how underwater geology fuels surface life and can affect marine ecosystems.

via Indian Defence Review|

#chatham-rise #coccolithophores #nasa-earth-observatory

earth-science1 month ago•8 min saved

PACE Opens a Multispectral Window on Earth’s Oceans, Atmosphere and Life

NASA’s PACE satellite uses hyperspectral imaging and polarimeters to monitor Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and land—tracking dust and wildfire smoke plumes, mapping three-dimensional cloud structure, identifying ship-induced cloud effects, and detecting phytoplankton types (including diatoms) and blooms such as cyanobacteria in the Great Lakes and Karenia off Australia. These data help warn water managers, support emergency response, and deepen climate and ocean ecosystem understanding, while Artemis II imagery showcases Earth from space.

via NASA Science (.gov)|

#aerosols #earth-science #harmful-algal-bloom

science1 month ago•91 min saved

Halo of glowing plankton surrounds NZ’s Chatham Islands, powered by a hidden undersea plateau

A January 2026 satellite image captured a bright halo of coccolithophore phytoplankton circling New Zealand’s Chatham Islands. The bloom is driven by the Chatham Rise, a shallow underwater plateau that channels cold, nutrient-rich waters to the surface, creating ideal conditions for algal blooms in summer. While this natural spectacle highlights the region’s rich marine life, the same hidden bathymetry is linked to deadly cetacean strandings in the area, underscoring how underwater geography shapes both ecosystems and marine hazards.

via Live Science|

#cetacean-strandings #chatham-islands #chatham-rise

science2 months ago•4 min saved

Emerald Ice: Satellites Reveal Phytoplankton Blooms in Antarctica

Copernicus satellite imagery shows green ice around Antarctica, signaling spring phytoplankton blooms as sunlight returns and nutrients are released. Scientists view this as a sign of a healthy marine ecosystem and a way to monitor ocean currents and life from space.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#antarctica #copernicus #marine-ecosystem

environment3 months ago•18 min saved

Antarctic Earthquakes Trigger Rapid Surface Phytoplankton Blooms

New research links underwater earthquakes near the Australian Antarctic Ridge to boosted surface phytoplankton blooms by enhancing iron release from hydrothermal vents, speeding nutrient delivery to the surface and cascading through the Southern Ocean food web, with potential implications for ocean carbon uptake and climate models. The study combines decades of satellite data with seismic records and points to a surprising, faster-than-expected pathway from deep-sea fluids to surface life.

via Earth.com|

#antarctica #earthquakes #environment

science4 months ago•4 min saved

Hidden Ocean Fronts Drive Surprising Carbon Uptake

Two decades of satellite data show that narrow ocean fronts—where water masses meet—are hotspots for carbon capture due to vertical mixing and phytoplankton blooms. These small zones disproportionately absorb CO₂, suggesting climate models may underestimate ocean carbon storage if they ignore front dynamics; incorporating them could improve predictions of the carbon cycle.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#carbon-uptake #climate-models #ocean-fronts

technology4 months ago•13 min saved

Samsung Launches 13-Inch Color E-Paper With Phytoplankton Bio-Resin Housing

Samsung today announced the global launch of the 13-inch Color E-Paper (EM13DX), the world’s first commercial display with a phytoplankton-based bio-resin housing. The ultra-thin, 1,600×1,200 color panel runs on ultra-low power (static images at zero watts) and uses a rechargeable battery, USB-C, and flexible mounting, while its housing uses 45% recycled plastic and 10% bio-resin, cutting carbon emissions by more than 40% versus petroleum plastics; packaging is 100% paper. Content is managed via the Samsung E-Paper App or Samsung VXT, with a 20-inch model to follow at ISE 2026 as Samsung expands its digital signage lineup.

via samsung.com|

#bio-resin #color-e-paper #digital-signage

science4 months ago•4 min saved

NASA Spots a Ring of Blooms Around the Chatham Islands

NASA's VIIRS satellite captured a ring-shaped phytoplankton bloom around the Chatham Islands, where nutrient-rich upwelling from the Chatham Rise and the clash of cold Antarctic and warmer subtropical waters fuel rapid algae growth. The vivid greens and blues reveal a seasonal, highly productive marine ecosystem that supports fisheries and marine mammals, though the area is also known for mass strandings tied to its complex oceanography.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#chatham-islands #nasa #oceanography

science4 months ago•3 min saved

Satellite View Captures Ring of Phytoplankton Around Chatham Islands

NASA's Earth Observatory captured a vibrant ring of phytoplankton encircling the remote Chatham Islands in January 2026, observed by the VIIRS instrument on NOAA-20. The bloom forms where cold, nutrient-rich Antarctic waters meet warmer subtropical waters around the Chatham Rise, supporting local fisheries and marine life, though the region is also known for whale and dolphin strandings.

via NASA Science (.gov)|

#bloom #chatham-islands #noaa-20

science9 months ago•55 min saved

Future Ocean Warming Endangers Key Marine Microbe Prochlorococcus

Future ocean warming is predicted to cause a significant decline in Prochlorococcus biomass and productivity beyond a temperature threshold of approximately 28°C, which could lead to cascading effects on marine food webs and carbon cycling, despite some potential for adaptation.

via Nature|

#climate-change #marine-ecosystems #ocean-warming

science9 months ago•3 min saved

Bioluminescent Ocean Bloom Revealed as Billions of Tiny Creatures

Oceanographers have discovered that the bright turquoise patch in the Southern Ocean, previously thought to be caused by coccolithophores, is actually due to dense populations of diatoms, challenging previous assumptions about microorganism distribution and their role in the carbon cycle in cold waters.

via ScienceAlert|

#carbon-cycle #coccolithophores #diatoms