Incredible images show Istanbul’s Bosphorus after it transformed from dark blue into bright turquoise as the city remains under coronavirus lockdown.
The jewel-toned waterway glowed due to phytoplankton called Emiliania huxleyi, a species of coccolithophore.
The microscopic organisms thrive in water with high levels of sunlight.
Turkey had its first coronavirus case on March 11 and since then, extreme lockdown measures were imposed in a bid to slow the spread of the killer virus.
President Recep Erdoğan ordered most businesses to shut and confined those under 20 or over 65 to their homes during the week.
Incredible images show Istanbul’s Bosphorus after it transformed from dark blue into bright turquoise (pictured) as the city remains under coronavirus lockdown
Turkey had its first coronavirus case on March 11 and since then, extreme lockdown measures were imposed in a bid to slow the spread of the killer virus. Pictured: The waterway earlier this month
The jewel-toned waterway (pictured) glowed due to phytoplankton called Emiliania huxleyi, a species of coccolithophore
The microscopic organisms thrive in water with high levels of sunlight. Turkey had its first coronavirus case on March 11 and since then, extreme lockdown measures were imposed
Lockdown has meant the usually-bustling body of water has been largely unused, drastically cutting down on marine pollution and noise. Pictured: The turquoise water
On weekends, only essential medics and security workers are allowed outside in 31 provinces.
Lockdown has meant the usually-bustling body of water has been largely unused, drastically cutting down on marine pollution and noise and leaving the water exposed to the sun, potentially contributing the Emiliania huxleyi’s bright glow.
In general, phytoplankton support fish, shellfish, and other marine organisms.
But large, frequent blooms can lead to eutrophication – the loss of oxygen from the water – and end up suffocating marine life.
Coccolithophores is one type of phytoplankton commonly found in the Black Sea. They are plated with white calcium carbonate.
The water has been more exposed to the sun since lockdown began, potentially contributing the Emiliania huxleyi’s bright glow
In general, phytoplankton (such as the kind that turned the Bosphorus blue, pictured) support fish, shellfish, and other marine organisms
Large, frequent blooms can lead to eutrophication – the loss of oxygen from the water – and end up suffocating marine life. Pictured: The Bosphorus
The water in the Bosphorus used to be much darker in colour before the phytoplankton caused it to turn bright blue
Phytoplankton isn’t the only wildlife spotted in the Bosphorus since lockdown started. Earlier this month, dolphins were pictured enjoying the water
Dolphins jump in the Bosphorus during spring season in Istanbul earlier this month. The noise and marine pollution would normally have kept them away
When aggregated in large numbers, these reflective plates are easily visible from space as bright, milky water.
Phytoplankton isn’t the only wildlife spotted in the Bosphorus since lockdown started. Earlier this month, dolphins were pictured enjoying the water.
Last month it was revealed that much of Europe has experienced much-improved air quality as more people stayed indoors.
Data from the European Space Agency Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite showed some cities experienced a 45 per cent drop in nitrogen dioxide levels since the outbreak.
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) scientists monitored air pollution levels over Europe using satellite data.
The study focused on data from major cities in Italy, Spain and France comparing levels in March and April 2020 to the same period in 2019.
Italy’s economic hub and one of the first places in Europe to go into lockdown – before a countrywide ban was put into place – Milan was among the most heavily polluted cities on the continent before it shut down (left in January this year.) Since all-but essential travel was stopped, the city’s air has visibly cleared and pollution has fallen (right on April 17)
One of the busiest tourist destinations in the world, Venice suffered from poor air quality caused by exhausts from diesel-powered boats that frequented its Grand Canal (left in January, 2018). But since tourism was halted amid the crisis, the skies have cleared along with the canal’s waters (pictured right on April 17)
Frequently among the most-polluted cities in the world before India was placed under strict lockdown, air quality was so bad in New Delhi that schools were being closed and people advised to stay indoors (pictured left, a thick smog in November 2018.) Now, the city is enjoying blue skies as residents praise the ‘alpine weather’ (right on April 8)
Madrid, Milan and Rome saw a 47 to 49 per cent drop in nitrogen dioxide but the most dramatic change was in Paris which saw a drop of 54 per cent.
Around the world, stark before and after images revealed how air pollution visibly dropped since the crisis began.
In Italy a haze hanging over Milan cleared away while Venice’s Grand Canal was free of smog as tourists were forced to stay at home.
New Delhi, in India, frequently ranks among the most polluted cities in the world, and images taken two years ago show a thick pall of smoke hanging over the city.
But new images show blue skies visible as local celebrated the ‘alpine weather’ after people were ordered to stop working and stay at home.
Similar scenes were recorded in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Islamabad, Pakistan, after those countries were also placed under full or partial lockdown.
In 2015, medical researchers estimated that 22 per cent of all deaths in Pakistan could be traced back to pollution, with air pollution the worst culprit (pictured left, a view of the capital Islamabad in August 2017). The country has been under strict lockdown orders amid the coronavirus crisis, leading to a visible improvement in air quality (pictured right on April 20)
Scientists predicted that in 2019, when the image on the left was taken,the average Indonesian could expect to lose 1.2 years from their life expectancy due to air pollution. But, since the country was placed under partial coronavirus lockdown, the skies have started to clear (the same view seen right on April 16 this year)
Indonesia saw one of the steepest declines in air quality of any country through the 21st century, as levels of air pollution increased 171 per cent between 1998 and 2016. Pictured left is a view of the capital Jakarta in July 2018, showing a fine haze in the air, and right is the same view on April 16 this year