Blooms

Aerial photo of what is likely a blooom of Cochlodinium polykrikoides in the James River near the Monitor-Merrimack Bridge. The bloom extends from above the James River Bridge downstream into the main-stem and western branch of the Elizabeth River as well as into the Lafayette River. Photo by Wolfgang K. Vogelbein

This massive “red tide” of the dinoflagellate Noctiluca stretched for more than 20 miles along the southern California coast. Non-toxic blooms such as these can cause extensive mortalities of plants and animals in shallow waters when the bloom biomass decays, stripping oxygen from the water. (P. Franks)