The ocean water off Long Island's South Shore has been a turquoise color lately, and experts say that's due to a bloom of phytoplankton.

Dr. Christopher Gobler of Stony Brook University said it's a result of "upwelling." He said beginning a few weeks ago, there were persistent southwest winds that brought deep, nutrient-filled water up to the surface. That led to the growth of algae; in this case, what's known as "coccolithophores."

Gobler classified the bloom for now as a "neutral to good" thing because it's a natural phenomenon and can feed the food web. He did say, however, that you can have too much of a good thing and that if this were to become more intense down the road, it could lead to lower oxygen levels in the water.

Beachgoers marveled at the lighter-colored water. One person compared it to the water off Florida's coast.