Algae bloom in the Bering Sea. Satellite image of a phytoplankton bloom (green) in the nutrient-rich waters around Alaska's Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea. Blooms in the Bering Sea increase significantly in springtime, after winter ice cover retreats and nutrients and freshened water are abundant near the ocean surface. Phytoplankton populations plummet in summertime as the water warms, surface nutrients are depleted by blooms, and the plant-like organisms are depleted by grazing fish, zooplankton, and other marine life. By autumn, storms can stir nutrients back to the surface and cooler waters make better bloom conditions. Image obtained by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite on 22 September 2014.