Bloom in the Barents Sea: Natural Hazards

A break in the clouds provided a window to a brilliant display of color in the Barents Sea north off Norway on August 1, 2007. The bright aquamarine hues suggest that this is likely a http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/Coccolithophores/ coccolithophore bloom. A coccolithophore is a tiny, surface-dwelling ocean plant that is coated with microscopic limestone (calcite) scales. This white coating makes the plant highly reflective. It reflects nearly all of the light that hits it, and it is this reflected light that gives the ocean the radiant blue color seen in this image.