Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 13:49:19
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.60 1.80%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,454.40 0.95%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.00 2.20%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 430.30 0.54%
  1. State Bank Of India share price
  2. 754.80 2.83%
Business News/ Science / Health/  Microscopic organisms turn Istanbul’s shores turquoise
BackBack

Microscopic organisms turn Istanbul’s shores turquoise

The waters around Istanbul have turned a striking shade of turquoise due to a natural phenomenon called phytoplankton bloom

‘Phytoplankton bloom’ is a normal annual event which turns the normally dark waters of the Bosporus and the Golden Horn into an opaque tone of light blue. Photo: APPremium
‘Phytoplankton bloom’ is a normal annual event which turns the normally dark waters of the Bosporus and the Golden Horn into an opaque tone of light blue. Photo: AP

Istanbul: The waters around Istanbul have turned a striking shade of turquoise.

A natural phenomenon called a “phytoplankton bloom" has turned the normally dark waters of the Bosporus and the Golden Horn into an opaque tone of light blue. It’s caused by microscopic organisms that have inundated the Black Sea just north of Turkey’s largest city.

Berat Haznedaroglu, an environmental engineer, says it’s a normal annual event.

“This year we got a lot of rain events that carried nutrients from the Saharan desert to the Black Sea, which created an optimal environment for this phytoplankton to bloom," said Haznedaroglu, who works at the Institute of Environmental Sciences at Istanbul’s public Bogazici University.

In a statement published with a satellite image of the Black Sea, Nasa said the milky colouration is “likely due to the growth of a particular phytoplankton called a coccolithophore."

The microscopic organisms support fish, shellfish and other marine organisms but can also cause die-offs of marine life due to loss of oxygen from the water if the “blooms" are too widespread.

The Bosporus, a strait that separates Europe from Asia, also connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and is a heavily used waterway.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Published: 16 Jun 2017, 01:44 AM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App