Throughout May and June 2025, NASA satellites observed hints of a phytoplankton bloom off the coast of southeast Greenland.
Throughout May and June 2025, NASA satellites observed hints of a phytoplankton bloom off the coast of southeast Greenland. Clouds prevented optical sensors from getting a clear view on most days, but on June 3, 2025, there was another culprit: wildfire smoke.
The edge of the bloom is visible in this image, acquired on that day with the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Aqua satellite. Northwesterly winds propelled a river of haze over the ice sheet and Greenland’s Sermersooq municipality, past swirling tendrils of sea ice along the coast, and over the waters of the Denmark Strait.
A bloom is essentially an abundance of phytoplankton—tiny, plant-like organisms that often float near the ocean surface. Phytoplankton fuel the ocean by feeding other plankton, fish, and ultimately bigger creatures. They also play a key role in the carbon cycle and produce oxygen.
Read more at NASA Earth Observatory
Image: NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview.
