The Black Sea #

Photo courtesy of NASA., under PD

Swirls of color ranging from deep olive green to bright turquoise were created by a massive phytoplankton bloom that covered the entire surface of the Black Sea on this image taken 20 June 2006. Many of Europes largest rivers, including the Danube, the Dnister, and the Dnipro (Dnieper) dump fresh water into the sea.

The seas only source of salty water is the narrow Bosporus Strait (in the southwest), which connects it to the Mediterranean Sea through the Sea of Marmara. Northern Turkey makes up the southern shore of the sea. The diamond-shaped landmass that projects into the sea from the north is Ukraines Crimean peninsula.