Unique phenomenon causing Jersey Shore beaches to resemble tropical waters

Satellite imagery shows unusually bright turquoise-blue ocean waters along the Mid-Atlantic coast, including the Jersey Shore. Swirling offshore patches appear as brownish blue-green water lingers off New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia starting in early April. The strongest colors and patterns occur in the shallow coastal zone of the Mid-Atlantic Bight, where waters from Raritan Bay, Delaware Bay, and Chesapeake Bay mix with the Atlantic Ocean. The region experiences phytoplankton blooms that begin in winter and summer, with timing and size varying by year. The area is often described as “noisy” or “dirty” due to river-driven sediment and colored dissolved organic matter, which complicates distinguishing bloom types in shallow waters.

"Satellite imagery from NASA showcases the color change, with the ocean appearing much brighter than normal in areas such as the Jersey Shore. You can see enormous swirling patches offshore, fueled by a mixture of spring sunlight, nutrient-rich waters and seasonal ocean upwelling, according to NASA."

"Starting in early April, satellites started detecting a patch of brownish, blue-green water lingering off the coasts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The colors and patterns appear to be most intense in the shallow coastal zone where the waters of Raritan Bay, Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay merged with the Atlantic Ocean - an area known as the Mid-Atlantic Bight."

"The Mid-Atlantic Bight falls between Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. In this area, coastal phytoplankton blooms initiate in the winter and summer, although the timing and size of blooms varies from year to year."

"Scientists consider the Mid-Atlantic to be "noisy" or "dirty" because rivers often discolor coastal waters with plumes of suspended sediment, water stained with colored dissolved organic matter and an array of microscopic and aquatic plant life, according to NASA. When this matter mixes with phytoplankton blooms, it becomes more difficult for scientists to distinguish and categorize blooms in shallow coastal zones compared to deeper, darker, more uniform waters of the open ocean, NASA said."

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