NASA captured the green vortex in the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea using the Landsat 8 satellite, which took the image in its natural colors in 2018. The phenomenon, 25 kilometers in diameter and 70,000 square kilometers in area, was made up of cyanobacteria and plankton, which were trapped by the collision of two opposing currents.
Baltic Sea attacked by cyanobacteria? NASA observes vortex
The bloom of cyanobacteria occurs in this region every summer, although it does not always create such a spectacular vortex. However, as the portal noted Live Sciencein recent years the phenomenon has increased in size and frequency. The reason for this is the penetration of water nitrogen, phosphorus and nutrients that come from human activities such as agriculture, use fuels mining or waste disposal.
Cyanobacteria pose a serious threat to the ecosystem. They are a result of climate change
According to Wood Hole Oceanographic Institute The accumulation of algae near the surface causes them to take away nutrients and oxygen from other organisms. As a result, they can suffocate. Scientists call oxygen-poor areas “dead zones.” Additionally, they tend to grow, which, combined with the growing temperatures seas, which lead to a drop in sea level oxygen to dangerous levels, can have serious consequences for the environment. These effects of climate change make it harder for fish and other marine organisms that play an important role in the ecosystem to thrive.