800-kilometer black bloom appears off Brazilian coast

Myrionecta bloom (Credit: NASA)

A NASA spacecraft has photographed a black bloom stretching nearly 800 kilometers along the coast of Brazil, according to NewScientist.

Scientists believe the bloom is composed of colonies of Myrionecta rubra, a microscopic organism that devours algae to achieve photosynthesis. The photo was taken by Aqua, a satellite  that tracks the Earth’s water cycle. Although the bloom appears black from orbit, it is actually a deep red when viewed up close.

The Myrionecta bloom is probably not a threat to animals beside algae, though blooms of similar organisms have posed a major threat to marine life in the past.

 Image: Myrionecta bloom (Credit: NASA)