Astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery used the sunglint off
the surface of the Mediterranean Sea to reveal biogenic films on the
ocean surface. ("Biogenic film" refers to a thin layer of biologically-produced film resting on the surface. Click for more details.) The films dampen surface capillary waves, creating
brighter and darker reflections, which, in turn, trace the complex
surface water movements along the coast. The sunglint also highlights
coastal features (jetties, submerged coastal areas) near the Port of
Suez.