MODIS detects a devastating algal bloom in Paracas Bay, Peru

The medium‐resolution bands on NASA's Moderate‐Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) were successfully used to detect and map the distribution of a harmful phyto‐plankton bloom in the Paracas Bay Peru, that caused economic losses worth millions of dollars. Routine application of MODIS data can be a valuable and cost‐effective way to monitor harmful blooms and other turbid water plumes that cause disruption to the fishery and aquaculture operations of many coastal areas.