Photo: Eerie bloom off of Northern California

Eerie green swirls were seen off the coast of Northern California recently in NASA satellite photos as a result of a large colony of phytoplankton.

These plant-like organisms that live in the Pacific Ocean can reproduce and explode into massive blooms easily seen from space. As impressive as the hue may seem, however, the biotoxins produced by the algae is harmful to marine life and fisheries.

“A record breaking algal bloom continues to expand across the North Pacific reaching as far north as the Aleutian Islands and as far south as southern California,” according to an article published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). “Amidst well-above average sea surface temperatures across the North Pacific and along the western coastline of North America, a toxic algal bloom has developed with far reaching consequences for sea life as well as regional and local economies,” it continued.

The biotoxins have led to some Dungeness crab production closures in Washington and some sardine and anchovy fisheries closures in California. Some of these closures and health warnings were lifted on December 12, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The current satellite image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite on December 11. It also documented lingering inland, thick fog over the Central Valley.