Phytoplankton off South African Coast

On May 1, 2003, a MODIS image shows a bloom of marine organisms still coloring the waters of Western Cape, South Africa.

Since April 10, a phytoplankton bloom has been occurring off the western coast of South Africa. Reports from water sampling at the site indicate that it is a rather unusual red tide containing a mixture of organisms called dinoflagellates and a species of coccolithophore called Syrachosphaera pulchra. A coccolithophore is an organism that has a chalky, calcium-based outer covering that reflects sunlight very strongly back from the ocean surface. Ocean waters that contain the organism appear very bright blue or green. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image was acquired April 22, 2003.

Metadata

  • Sensor

    Terra/MODIS

  • Start Date

    2003-04-22

  • Event Start Date

    2003-04-10

  • NH Image ID

    10197

  • NH Event ID

    8630

  • NH Posting Date

    2003-04-23