Bristol Channel shines with colour

The Bristol Channel saw a colourful phytoplankton bloom blossom on Friday, marking the latest in a series as temperatures rise.

Satellite images from late last month show the plankton shining in the channel, this follows a large bloom in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean on May 17.

These displays are signs that summer is truly arriving in the northern hemisphere with rising temperatures a key driver of blooms.

Temperature and sunlight are the key ingredients for a phytoplankton bloom with the two combining to increase the nutrients that plankton needs to live.

In addition to providing a colourful display, these blooms also help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in our oceans.

Most forms of phytoplankton are single-celled plants, and like plants on dry land contain chlorophyll to capture sunlight, store carbon dioxide, and release oxygen.

A bloom occurs when the population of phytoplankton suddenly grows thanks to the increase in nutrients available.

The annual journey of dust plumes from the Sahara Desert also delivers vital nutrients to the ocean as it passes, sustaining plankton and other marine life.