Blue, Blue Bay

Anyone notice the bright, turquoise color of Monterey Bay this week? This beautiful hue is caused by a huge bloom of coccolithophores, a type of phytoplankton. The bloom is a result of reduced upwelling in Monterey Bay, which in turn is probably linked to the warm weather and the predicted El Nino year. Upwelling is a part of what makes the bay such a diverse and beautiful ecosystem, and scientists are concerned about the type of adverse effect El Nino might have on local marine life.