Black Water off the Gulf Coast of Florida

Mysterious black water appeared off the Gulf Coast of Florida in late winter 2002. The black water returned to the waters off Sanibel Island in August 2002.

This image from the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) shows black water off the coast of Florida on January 30, 2002. In late March 2002 a diver investigating the water discovered dead and dying sponges and coral?an indication that the discoloration may be the result of a toxic phytoplankton bloom, which sometimes kill sponges before other marine species.

Metadata

  • Sensor

    Terra/MODIS

  • Start Date

    2002-01-30

  • Event Start Date

    2002-01-09

  • NH Image ID

    2623

  • NH Event ID

    2612

  • NH Posting Date

    2002-03-28