That may look like a hurricane from above.
But its’ s actually a toxic algal bloom sweeping across the Baltic Sea.
Yes, this is an algal bloom that engulfed the Baltic Sea and was snapped by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2A satellite on Aug. 7.
And do you see the ship, whose black trail disturbs the perfect swirl of algae?
According to ESA, the algal bloom has grown larger this summer because of warm weather and calm seas.
Animals that survive a toxic algal bloom become tainted themselves and can contaminate shellfish, which can be dangerous for humans who consume them.
Toxic algal blooms have been a recent problem in the United States. In July and August 2015, one of the most biggest algal bloom engulfed the warm West Coast’s waters leading to devastating effects on wildlife especially for sea lions.
You probably also remember the large algal bloom that contaminated the drinking water taken from Lake Erie, and left the city of Toledo, Ohio without safe water for several days.
